


Home Is With You

by vivilove



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gun Violence, Horny Teenagers, Kidnapping, Smut, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-02 11:59:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 115,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8666587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivilove/pseuds/vivilove
Summary: The Starks have practically raised Jon Snow as his young, single mother has struggled with parenthood.  As Jon begins his senior year of high school, he and Sansa Stark begin to fall in love.  This story follows their relationship over the course of about a year.  The two teens learn about love and sex while coping with family issues and some dangerous situations.





	1. Prologue-Makings of a Pack

 

 

Eddard Stark was the heir to a large home called Winterfell and a larger fortune. Anyone that meant anything to him in this world called him Ned. The Starks had been one of the most prominent families of Wintertown for centuries and their name was well known throughout the North in Westeros. His best friend growing up had been Brandon Snow. The Snows had moved to Wintertown from farther north when Brandon was five years old. He and Ned had met the first day of school and bonded at once. They grew close like brothers over the years despite their differences in circumstances and temperament. Brandon’s family was not well off but the Starks never looked down on the Snows and the families got along well.

 

Brandon was not the heir to any grand fortune but he did get a younger sister when the boys were ten. Ned was an only child and felt that Lyanna was his little sister, too. Both boys doted on her and tried to spoil her. As they grew older, they hoped that someday their children and Lyanna’s would be as close as they were.

 

As the boys grew into men, they went to separate colleges but maintained their strong bond. But tragedy struck during their final year of college. Brandon and Lyanna’s parents died suddenly in a car accident. Lyanna would need caring for and, as Brandon was still trying to finish school at Last Hearth, Ned’s ageing parents convinced the young man to send his sister to live with them while he finished his studies. Ned wrote to Brandon to offer his condolences and promised to help him care for Lyanna as soon as he finished his studies at Riverlands University.

 

Through family connections Ned had met and fallen in love with Catelyn Tully during his college days. They married shortly after graduation and he had convinced her to move to his home in Wintertown. Lyanna was 13 when Ned and Catelyn moved into the family estate and Brandon was gone quite often trying to find work that would help support him and his sister. Catelyn felt sorry for the girl, Lyanna, and tried to act as a big sister to her.

 

But there was a wildness in Lyanna. Her parents’ death had left her angry and sullen at times and depressed and insecure at others. By the time she entered high school, she was constantly getting herself in trouble. She had been suspended from high school for skipping class and then she was caught smoking pot with friends behind the bleachers at a football game. Once she started driving, she’d come home more than once smelling of alcohol and sex. It fell to Brandon and Ned to try and get Lyanna to straighten up. But Brandon and Lyanna argued furiously over her different transgressions. At seventeen, she ran away from home.

 

For 10 months, they lived in agony of not knowing where she was or what had become of her. Then, Lyanna called Brandon and begged him to come get her. She was in Dorne over a thousand miles away but her brother went to fetch her all the same. The frightened teenager confided in Catelyn that she was pregnant. Cat had recently learned that was pregnant too and she convinced Lyanna that everything would be alright and they would support each other through their pregnancies and raising their children.

“But you have Ned,” Lyanna said sadly, “My child will be a bastard.”

She had refused to name to child’s father.

“It doesn’t matter,” Cat replied, “We’re a family, all of us.”

Ned’s father sickened and died before the birth of his grandson which hurt Ned greatly. But when his son, Robb, was born, his heart felt full to bursting with love. Lyanna gave birth to a boy of her own a month later. She named him Jon. Ned’s mother died a year later. She had grieved so for her husband that Ned was not surprised even though he was heartbroken.

 

Not long after this though, a much greater shock was in for them all. Brandon was working two jobs; one during the day at the Stark’s manufacturing company and one at night as a security guard. He was trying to pay back his student loans and wanted Lyanna to finish school and go to college once she felt ready. Ned was more than happy to pay for it but Brandon refused. They already lived at Winterfell with Ned and Catelyn for free and Brandon was too proud to accept more charity from his friend.

 

One night an intruder broke into the storage facility Brandon was guarding and when Brandon confronted him in the parking lot, he was shot and killed. Lyanna entered a period of deep depression, blaming herself for his death. She suddenly wanted nothing to do with her son anymore and Catelyn tried to comfort the toddler with raven curls who had lost his uncle and seemingly his mother at once.

“I need time, Cat. I can’t do this right now. I’m a terrible mother and Jon deserves better. Please, give me some time.”

Catelyn looked down at the two sweet little boys playing on the floor. They weren’t exactly playing together but they sat right next to one another while Robb played with a stuffed ball and Jon banged on his xylophone. She was expecting another child, a girl this time, in the next few months and she felt overwhelmed but she gave Lyanna’s hand a squeeze and nodded.


	2. Pep Rally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV

Jon Snow wasn’t exactly sure why he had come tonight. It was the annual Back-to-School Pep Rally for Wintertown High School and he’d always avoided this kind of school-spirit pandemonium in the past. But his good friends, Sam and Pyp, were in the marching band and had asked him to come see them perform.

“It’s our last year here,” Sam had said. “Don’t you want to remember something about high school besides the classes you took?”

He knew his brother, Robb, would be there as well. Robb had said Sansa would be there, too. Jon hadn’t seen her in two months and he had missed her. Robb wasn’t really his brother but they thought of each other that way. Jon had lived at Winterfell from birth until he was six when his mother had unexpectedly dropped back into his life. He’d thought Ned and Catelyn Stark were his parents the same as Robb’s until that time. But Lyanna came back to claim him and make up for lost time and he went to live with her…for a while anyway. Lyanna had ‘issues’ though and things were rarely easy with her. It was difficult for him to understand when he was very young but, as the years went by, he came to realize how she was different than other mothers… definitely different than Cat. Lyanna could be very loving at times but then she’d become distant. Sometimes nothing seemed to stop her tears even when Jon had no idea what could be wrong. She’d take off for months at a time begging Jon to forgive her and not forget her. He didn’t of course but her inconsistency pained him greatly and left him feeling lost.

 

So, from the age of six until now, Jon often found himself living with his mother for a time and then back at Winterfell with the Starks. He felt guilty about the fact that he preferred life at Winterfell. It wasn’t so much about living in a fine house, he missed his family there. Ned was the only father figure Jon could ever remember having and he loved him very deeply. And Cat had been much more of a mother to him than his own. She was always extra attentive when he was returned to them again as though she sensed his feelings of rejection from his own mother but she tried not to cry when Lyanna would return and beg to take her son back again. And he missed his siblings terribly when they weren’t together.  He thought of them as his siblings anyway. Robb and he had been thick as thieves since they were in diapers. And while he didn’t seem to have as much in common with Sansa, who liked boy bands, reading tragic romance novels and shopping, she was always sweet and kind and made him feel loved. Arya, Bran and Rickon were wonderfully intrusive pests that he loved dearly. And then there was Theon, Cat’s nephew, who was two years older than Jon and Robb. He was often around to lead Robb and Jon into mischief but he was a good cousin all the same.

 

Jon and Robb were seventeen and this would be their senior year. Lyanna had popped back into his life in March and hadn’t bolted yet. They lived about 20 minutes away from the Starks so they could still spend time together. But Jon had spent the summer working at Wintertown’s country club and hadn’t had as much time with his family as usual. He had also started dating a girl from school who worked there, Ygritte Wilde. They had went on a few dates but Jon wasn’t quite sure what to think of her. She was funny and pretty in a way with her bushy red hair and green eyes but she could be a terror when she was cross. Of course, Jon was accused of brooding quite a bit so he couldn’t say much there. Jon supposed she had a bit of a chip on her shoulder because she always seemed to hate the country club members. She got annoyed when he talked about the Starks, too.

“So, are you like their charity case or something?” she asked rather bluntly after their second date.

That had hurt and angered him. He didn’t speak to her more than necessary for a few weeks. She had finally apologized though and Jon was willing to forgive and forget. Ygritte was also terribly forward, too. It made him a bit uncomfortable when she started talking about sex on their first date. One thing Jon knew for certain was that he didn’t want to get a teenage girl pregnant like what happened with his mom. Ygritte was to be a senior, too. But, she was working tonight so Jon was on his own once Sam and Pyp headed off to warm up with the marching band. The three of them had their own band called Watchers on the Wall. Sam had suggested the name, something he’d read in a book no doubt. Jon played guitar and sang and Ygritte had seen them rehearse once and said he was the sexiest singer alive. He never knew how to take those kind of comments. Arya had watched them rehearse dozens of times and only ever said they were terrible and should keep practicing. Jon would ruffle her hair and she would punch his shoulder then. _That_ he could understand.

 

His drifting mind was recalled to the present by Coach Baratheon talking…more like yelling really…into the microphone about how great the football team was this year and how they were going to win the title… _yadda, yadda, yadda_. Then, to Jon’s intense delight, the coach shoved the microphone into Robb’s unwilling hands. Robb was team captain this year but looked like a deer caught in headlights at the moment.

_He’s always hated public speaking_ , Jon thought, _but then so do I._

“Um…thanks, Coach. We’ve…um…worked really hard this summer and, uh…we hope to make you all proud. Go, Wolves!” Robb managed to say before shoving the mike back at the coach.

Jon had to laugh to himself at his brother’s discomfort but didn’t think he’d done too badly. The cheerleaders started a cheer and Jon glanced over to see Margaery Tyrell at the top of a pyramid. His eyes narrowed a bit. She was a lovely junior with wavy brown hair but she had a bit of a reputation. Of course, she was a Tyrell and as part of one of the richest families in Wintertown she could withstand most stones, or even sizeable boulders, thrown in her direction. But, in Jon’s opinion, she was the primary cause of Robb’s heartbreak last spring and Jon wasn’t about to forget that.

 

Robb had been dating Jeyne Westerling since the summer before their junior year and Jon knew he was head over heels for the girl. But Margaery and her twin brother, Loras, had thrown a large party over spring break and Margaery had had her eyes on Robb all year. There was quite of a bit of drinking at the party and Robb was drunk for the first time in his life and he and Jeyne had argued about it. Jon had assured Jeyne that he would drive them both home as he had stayed sober but she’d stormed off to another part of the house with her friend, Beth Cassel. That’s when Margaery came upon them dressed to kill in a red mini-dress that left little to the imagination. She plopped down into Robb’s lap as though they were a definite thing and started whispering in his ear and giggling. Robb looked a bit star-struck and the next thing Jon knew, Robb was stumbling off after her towards the upstairs. Jon sat there feeling uneasy and wondering what he could do to get his brother to not make a fool of himself when he heard Jeyne screeching at Robb. She’d found them making out at the top of the stairs. Margaery looked very contrite but Robb’s temper got the better of him. Jeyne was yelling at him in front of half their classmates and Jon saw his ears get red…never a good sign. He’d said some stupid things. He’d been a total dick really and Jeyne left with her friend and had barely spoken two words to him since that night.

Jon had led Robb to the car. He’d had to pull over twice so Robb could throw up and then Robb had started bawling his eyes out about how badly he’d fucked everything up. Jon tried to sneak him into the house but Ned found them. Robb was a bit too hysterical to get to bed quietly anyway. After Robb was settled, Ned thanked Jon for being a good brother to Robb and told him he was proud of him for staying sober and asked him to stay the night since it was late. The next morning, Jon heard Robb on the phone to Jeyne crying and begging her to forgive him for being such an idiot but she’d hung up on him. Jon came over and sat next to his brother putting an arm around his shoulder and telling him they’d work it out with time.

 

These unpleasant memories got a jolt when he recongized the cheerleader next to Margaery. It was Sansa. He’d know that particular shade of red hair anywhere. He didn’t even know she’d tried out for the cheerleading squad. She was a junior but she wouldn’t turn sixteen for a couple of weeks, he knew. He couldn’t help but feel a little proud watching her. She’d been in dance since she was five and had plenty of personality for cheer. Her hair was up in a long, swinging ponytail and her beautiful blue eyes were bright. Her milky white skin and womanly curves were flattered by the grey and white Wintertown High uniform with green letters.

_Milky white skin? Womanly curves?!? Where the hell did that come from?_

Jon shook his head and looked back at her. Sansa had definitely matured a good bit over the past year. He’d not really spent much time noticing her when she was an underclassman but he was noticing her now. A shadow passed over him and he looked up to see Robb smiling down at him. Jon had a sudden guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach which he shoved down so he could look Robb in the eye.

“How’s it going, brother?” Robb asked.

“I’m good. Nice speech by the way.”

Robb let out a groan. “Did I sound like a total fool?”

“Not really.”

Robb noticed Jon glancing over to where Sansa was. Loras Tyrell and two girls from the squad were tossing her up in the air. She’d do a flip and they’d catch her.

_When did her legs get that long? They go on forever_ …

“Your sister made the varsity squad, I see,” Jon said trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yes…wait…’my sister?’ Isn’t she your sister, too?”

“Um…well, you know, not really. I mean…I think of her that way…sort of…” Jon trailed off lamely.

If Robb thought Jon’s response was strange, he quickly forgot it as Jeyne stalked by carefully avoiding his eye.

“Ugh. Let’s go over and see Sansa,” Robb begged.

“Sure thing,” Jon replied with more enthusiasm than was necessary.

_Get it together, idiot. Robb’s going to notice you’re acting weird_.

 

The cheerleaders had just finished and the marching band was taking the field when the boys came over.

“Hi, Robb!” Margaery called with a wink.

“Uh, hi,” was all Robb could get out.

She whispered something into Sansa’s ear which made Sansa giggle but then Sansa came over to Jon and gave him a big hug.

“Hi, Stranger,” she said teasingly.

“Hello to you, pretty girl,” Jon replied.

He’d called her that since she was around ten and it never failed to make Sansa blush with pleasure.

_My God, she is beautiful. I need to come up with a better pet name. Wait…I need to stop staring at her is what I need to do…like now!_

Margaery was watching him with a smirk on her mouth.

_Shit! I don’t like the look in her eyes. I don’t want her whispering things to Sansa about me_.

As if on cue, Margaery leaned into Sansa and said something that made Sansa’s face flush bright red and had her looking uncomfortable. Robb seemed to snap out of his embarrassed stupor.

“Don’t be saying nasty things to my little sister, Margaery.”

“Oh, Robb. She’s so sweet and innocent. I love my little Sansa. I wouldn’t want to corrupt her.”

Margaery put her arms around Sansa’s waist and laid her head on her shoulder with a pout.

_Then, don’t talk to her_.

It’s what Jon wanted to say anyway. Robb was being hollered at by his teammates to come back over to the field and Margaery turned back to the other cheerleaders.

“How was your summer?” Sansa asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

“Um, good. Busy. I worked at the country club mostly and messed around with the band a bit. You?”

“It was good. I spent the summer at my Uncle Edmure’s in the Riverlands. Mom wants me to consider going to college there but I told her it was too early to decide.”

“I thought you were doing some sort of dance thing,” Jon prompted.

“Yeah, it was a dance ensemble camp on the campus, mostly ballet and modern dance. I taught 8 year olds in the mornings and then had lessons of my own in the afternoons. It lasted about six weeks and I spent my spare time chasing Uncle Edmure and Aunt Roslyn’s kids around the house. They are total terrors.”

Jon laughed at that. Edmure was Theon’s dad. Theon was a bastard like Jon though so he kept his mom’s last name.

_Another teenage mistake like me_...

He could totally see any of Edmure’s kids being wild and uncontrollable.

“Sounds like a busy summer for you then.”

Sansa smiled, “Yes, but I missed home. I missed you…and everyone else of course.”

_She missed me? Slow down. She’s always been a sweet girl and sees you as a big brother. Of course, she missed you. Just like you missed her…like a brother…right?_

Jon let an uncomfortable amount of time go by before he noticed Sansa looking a bit hurt and realized he’d not said anything in response.

“I missed you, too!” he blurted out louder than he meant to.

Sansa giggled again and took his hand. “My birthday is coming up. Will you come to my party? Mom’s making dinner. It’s just the family.”

“Of course, I’ll be there. What kind of almost-a-brother would I be if I missed my almost-a-sister’s 16th birthday?”

Sansa looked at him a bit strange for a moment and then smiled and said, “Good. See you around.”

_Oh God, I am so dead._


	3. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> Jon's trying to ignore what he's feeling for Sansa...and failing.

Classes started back on Monday and Jon was relieved to have new things to keep him busy and his mind off of Sansa...and her uniform.  He tried to tell himself it was some sort of cheerleader fetish at first.  But he soon knew that was a lie.  When he'd fisted his cock last night, he'd been picturing Sansa and she wasn't wearing her uniform.  She wasn't wearing anything but a smile.  He hated to think what Robb would do if he could read his mind...or Cat...or Ned.     

_Stop it! Just, stop it! She’s like your sister!_

The only time he saw her during school was when he and Robb left Mr. Baelish’s Literature class because Sansa had him afterwards. Jon tried to remind himself he had a girl already...sort of.  He and Ygritte had Trigonometry together and she drove Jon bonkers there. She was always trying to talk to him even when the teacher was lecturing. Jon wanted to make good grades and she couldn’t seem to understand that it was important to him to pay attention in class. Ned expected him to be able to get into any college he applied for and Jon did not want to let him down. But between classes he didn’t mind having a moment or two by the lockers for a kiss or even ducking into the stairwell for some more serious kissing. She’d been really nice lately and he felt like he owed the relationship a chance. Just because he didn’t want to get a girl pregnant, didn’t mean he wanted to head off to college as a virgin either. He just needed to find the right girl and the right circumstances.

 

Jon only saw Robb at school the first two weeks since Robb was busy with football practice most days. The first game was that Friday night and Jon could tell Robb was nervous. The whole family would be coming to watch him and Jon promised to be there as well. The country club job was a summer only gig for him as he’d been a lifeguard and the pool would be closing soon. Ygritte was a server there so she was still working. Jon was thinking about getting an after school job but Ned had talked him into focusing on school for the time being and promised him an internship with the family’s business if he really wanted to work or needed the money. Ygritte had made a face at that when he told her but she didn’t say anything.

 

Saturday would be Sansa’s birthday and the family party. Jon couldn’t wait. He’d barely seen Bran and Rickon all summer as they seemed to always be hiding out in their rooms with their video games or out playing with other kids their age. He’d made some time with Arya but not as much as he’d like; he was busy working and she was busy with horseback riding or fencing or soccer. Her favorite sport, hockey, would be starting in another couple of months. The girl was an animal when it came to sports and competition. Of course, it’d be nice to see Sansa, too… _don’t go there_.

 

The Thursday before the party, Robb and Jon were leaving Lit class a bit late when Sansa ran smack into both of them turning the corner in a hurry. She fell backwards and Jon caught her arm before she could hit the floor.

“Oh shit, Sansa! I’m sorry,” Robb said.

“It’s alright, Robb. It was my fault. Thanks, Jon.”

Notebooks and belongings from all three of them had went flying and they got down on hands and knees to start picking up the mess and sorting out what belonged to who. Jon looked over in horror when he saw Sansa holding his personal music notebook.

_Please don’t open that!_

He’d been working on some new lyrics recently all about a red haired girl with blue eyes that could light up the whole world and he really didn’t need her to see that or the drawings he’d been doing in the margins that looked suspiciously like Sansa.

“That’s mine!” he said and snatched it from her like it was gold.

“Okay,” she said, shocked by his tone.

 _Shit! Don’t be an asshole, Snow_.

“I’m sorry, Sansa, I just don’t like for anyone to see my music before it’s finished.”

She smiled at that and sat back on her knees to hand him the rest of his papers. Jon could tell she looked upset about something though.

At that moment, Joffrey Lannister walked up behind Sansa and said, “Wow, Sansa. You won’t go out with me but you’re on your knees for Jon Snow. How pathetic. I like seeing you on your knees though, especially in a skirt.”

Jon glanced at Sansa and suddenly just knew that Joffrey was the one who’d made her upset to begin with. Joffrey smirked at Jon and Robb as both boys lunged to their feet ready to rip Lannister’s smarmy head off.

“You boys should all head on to class now,” a low but firm voice called out behind Robb.

Joffrey turned and walked off laughing with a friend and Jon saw that Mr. Baelish was standing there watching the little scene. Jon knelt beside Sansa.

“Are you alright?”

“He’s a complete ass,” Sansa whispered in his ear, “but I’m fine. Thank you.”

Jon helped her up to her feet.

“Mr. Snow, Mr. Stark, I’d hate for you two to be late for your next class. Come, Miss Stark, class is so dull without you there to brighten my day.”

And Mr. Baelish walked right up to Sansa and put his arm around her waist, pulling her up close.

 _He’s holding her almost like a…a guy holds a girl_ …

He guided her into the room as Sansa looked over her shoulder at Robb and Jon with a bit of a confused expression. Jon’s eyes got wide and he looked over at Robb who had the same look on his face.

“What the fuck was that?” was all Robb could say before the bell rang and they both raced off to their next class.

 

At the end of the day, Jon was heading towards the parking lot when his phone dinged.

 **Robb: 3:34PM** coach having team meeting after practice. Won’t be done til 6. Can you give Sansa a ride home after cheer practice…please!!!!

 **Jon: 3:35PM** Sure.

 **Robb: 3:35PM** Thanks.

Jon saw Ygritte standing in the parking lot by his car and he swiftly turned around before she spotted him. He sent her a quick text that he was going to be staying at school late and would call her later. He watched her read the text from inside and could tell she looked pissed but then she walked over to her car and left.

 _I’m such a coward. I just didn’t want to face her knowing she’d be mad_.

He headed to the gym where cheer practice was held. Jon found a seat on the bleachers and thought he’d read some of the chapters Mr. Baelish had assigned for homework but he kept being distracted by the noises of the cheer squad.  He finally decided to stop pretending to read and just enjoy watching Sansa. She was in a pair of tight black shorts and had on a fitted blue tank top. She’d pulled her hair up into a bun and looked amazing. She had waved when she saw him and mouthed a “thank you.” Obviously, Robb had already texted her about the ride situation. Sansa wasn't the only one that noticed him though.  Margaery slipped away from practice and came over to him.

“You lost, Jon Snow?” she said teasingly as she lightly touched his knee.

“No, Margaery. Just waiting to give Sansa a ride home.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” she said in a knowing voice.

“Just trying to help Robb out,” Jon replied.

“Of course. You’re a very dutiful brother. Be sweet to my little Sansa.”

 _Ugh...I feel like that girl can read my mind. And there she goes, whispering to Sansa again…shit_.

 

Practice was over at 4:30 and Sansa had changed back to her school clothes. She followed him to the parking lot.

“I’m sorry to keep you here so late.”

“It’s no problem, Sansa.” Jon watched her settle in to her seat and decided this might be a good time to ask about some things. “Sansa, what’s with Joffrey Lannister?”

“Oh! Him! I can’t stand him! I kissed him on a dare in 8th grade and he’s been determined to bug the crap out of me ever since. He says such nasty things but I try to just ignore him. Sometimes it’s hard though…” She’d started off in a huff but she got kind of quiet as she trailed off.

“Has he ever done anything to hurt you? I’m mean, besides just running his mouth?”

Sansa looked uncomfortable and said, “Never physically…but he told everyone I’d slept with him freshman year. A lot of people believed him at first…a few still do. Most have figured out he’s full of it though. It hurt to have people thinking I was like that.” Jon was already broiling with anger when she continued, “He hurt Margaery though.”

“What?!”

“She dated him for a few months the previous summer. She said he’d grab her and even slapped her a time or two. I saw the bruises on her arms. Loras found out and kicked his ass. That was pretty great. I know you don’t like Margaery and I know what she did with Robb last spring was bad but she’s a good person at heart and she’s my friend.”

Jon worked on getting his temper back under control before he could speak again.  He looked over at Sansa. She was watching him closely like she was waiting for him to chastise her or make a comment.

“It’s not my place to tell you who to be friends with, Sansa. I’m sure she’s not all bad.  I just hope she's a good friend to you.” He tugged at his ear and continued, “She’s always whispering things to you.”

Sansa laughed but also blushed. “Yeah, she thinks it’s funny to shock me with her blunt talk about guys and...um, sex. I’m not stupid but I guess Mom has always tried to keep me ladylike.”

“No one in their right mind could ever call you stupid, Sansa. And you will always be a lady to me.”

They drove along in a comfortable silence the rest of the way home but Jon couldn’t resist asking about the other thing that had bothered him all afternoon as they headed into the house.

“Sansa, is Mr. Baelish always like that with you? Putting his arms around you and such?”

“No, that was a bit weird. He’s always very chatty with me but I guess that’s because of Mom.”

_A bit weird? How about totally inappropriate?_

“What do you mean?”

“He’s from the Riverlands, too. He dated Mom in high school but he went to college elsewhere. He says I look just like she did in high school. Okay...that sounds a bit creepy now that I repeat it but I think he’s just being nice.”

Jon weighed his words carefully before he said, “He’s not friendly like that with Robb. Do you think you should talk to your parents about him?”

“Uh, no! Dad already despises him and Mom would probably just tell me I was being silly.”

Jon agreed that there was no need to cause family discord so he just said, “Don’t be alone with him at least.”

Sansa laughed and said, “When would I ever be alone with him? Thanks for caring about me, Jon.”

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and then darted up the stairs. Jon stood there frozen for a minute and then reached up to touch his cheek where she’d kissed him.

 _Oh, fuck…I am totally fucked_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Creepy Finger the teacher...go ahead and shudder.
> 
> Please comment if you want. I love reading them!
> 
> Next chapter will give Sansa's point of view.


	4. Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's POV

Sansa dashed into her room and closed the door before the giggles could escape.

_I kissed him! Oh goodness, I’ve wanted to do that for ages!_

Sansa had been nursing a secret crush on Jon Snow since she started really noticing boys in the 6th grade while he and Robb were still pretty much ignoring girls. And now, he was just absolutely gorgeous; curly black hair, deep brown eyes, perfectly kissable lips, strong and muscular… _he must work out_ …but so very kind, funny and thoughtful, too.

_Argh! I am a terrible person to be lusting after someone who’s like a big brother to me. We used to take baths together as kids for crying out loud!_

Her feelings for Jon had waxed and waned a bit over the past few years depending on how much time they were together and what other boys caught her eye but she’d carried a torch for him this long and supposed she always would.

 

And then he’d showed up at the Pep Rally and Sansa was lost all over again. He’d looked incredibly hot and smelled wonderful when she’d hugged him. And Sansa could’ve sworn he was looking at her differently than he ever had in the past.

Margaery had noticed it too and whispered to Sansa, “He likes you. I think he’d like to see you out of that uniform.”

 _That_ had been embarrassing with him and Robb standing right there.

 _I’m surprised she’s not already texting me about the ride home_. **Ding!** _Oh Margaery, you are telepathic, aren’t you?_

 **Margaery: 4:55PM** Well…

 **Sansa: 4:55PM** Well, what?

 **Margaery: 4:56PM** Did he take you straight home or are you naked in his backseat yet?

 **Sansa: 4:57PM** OMG!!! I’m home and you are terrible!

 **Margaery: 4:57PM** Just keep me posted, love.

Sansa turned and looked in the mirror. It was time for a little self-talk.

 _Sansa Stark, you are going to be 16 on Saturday. Keep it cool and together. He may not really be interested in you at all. It’d be really weird for the family if he did…but it could work. Just wait and see and don’t give up on him_.

And now it was time to get some homework done…right after a cold shower.

 

Friday night and the first game were finally here. Sansa felt nervous cheering for the first time at an actual game but she imagined Robb must feel even more nervous. Of course, he’d been playing football for years and this was Sansa’s first year cheering. When the squad got to the track to set up, Sansa took a moment to find her family in the stands. They’d be hard to miss. Her parents were on the front row right in front of where the cheerleaders stood the entire game, except half-time, and Bran, Rickon and Arya were sitting right behind them.

 _I love you guys but I so wish you were not going to sit right in front of me all night_.

They all smiled and waved at her. Then, Jon showed up right before the game started and sat next to her dad and Sansa thought maybe she liked her parents’ choice of seats after all. About half way through the first quarter though, Ygritte Wilde appeared and sat next to Jon. Jon was introducing Ygritte to her parents and the girl gave them a quick hello before she was obviously tugging on his sleeve and indicating that she wanted to go sit elsewhere.

_Crap! Is he dating her?_

Sansa tried to keep the little green monster at bay and remember that she was supposed to be reciting a cheer at the moment. She tried to focus on the game. There was still no score. Then, she caught herself searching the stands for Jon and Ygritte. Just as she started to wonder if they’d left, she saw them sitting up towards the top row. Ygritte had her legs across his lap and was nuzzling her face into his neck. He didn’t seem to mind and he had a hand on her knee. Her eyes narrowed. The little green monster was growing into a ferocious beast quickly. Sansa let out a huff and tried to focus again. She tried very hard _not_ to look up their way again. She tried and failed.

 

At halftime, the Wolves were winning 10-3 and the squad had a break while the marching band and dance squad got a turn to perform. Sansa went up to her family with a smile plastered on her face but feeling inexplicably shattered. Her dad could always read her well though and put his arms around her for a hug.

“What’s wrong, love?”

“Nothing, Dad. Just tired of cheering a bit.”

Her mom leaned around her father and said, “You’re doing really well. We’re so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Her parents looked up behind her and smiled and Sansa turned to see Jon smiling down at her.

“Hello, pretty girl,” he said with a grin.

Sansa could feel her cheeks turning red and was afraid she’d get all flustered by his appearance and embarrass herself. Luckily, she was saved by Margaery coming over.

“Mr. and Mrs. Stark? Can Sansa go with me and Loras to get ice cream after the game?”

_Ice Cream? Are we 8 year olds?_

“Sure, Margaery. Just have her home by 11:00 please,” her mom replied.

Margaery left but Jon was still standing there looking like he wanted to say something else. Then, Ygritte appeared behind them.

“Are we going back to our seats?” she asked after staring at Sansa for a minute.

“Um, yeah. Ygritte, do you know Sansa?”

“Only by reputation,” was her reply and she turned around and headed up the stairs without a backwards glance. Sansa felt like she’d been slapped.

_What’s your problem, bitch? You’ve got him. Why are you being nasty to me?_

Sansa looked to see what her parents and siblings thought of that but none of them were paying any attention at the moment except Arya who was drilling holes in the back of Ygritte’s skull with her eyes.

 _I love you, Arya_.

Sansa could tell Jon was angry but he mumbled out an apology for her manners… _or total lack of!_

“You’re doing great, Sansa. I hope you enjoy the rest of the game and your friends tonight.”

“Yeah. Hope you enjoy _your_ _friend_ ,” she said with more than a little contempt.

She jumped up and fled past him to Margaery to tell her all about the incident before he could say anything else.

 

The Wolves won and Sansa managed to give Robb a victory hug before Margaery and Loras were pulling her back to the classroom where they changed into regular clothes. Sansa hadn’t brought any clothes to change into so she threw on her cardigan and they headed to the Shake Shack. There were lots of other kids from the school there after the ball game and they got their orders and found a place to sit outside.

“Well, well, well, look who decided to come meet me after all?” Loras drawled out when he saw Renly Baratheon pull up in his jeep.

“Sansa, you’re a doll. See you later, sister. Don’t wait up!” and he tossed Margaery the car keys.

“Have fun, Loras,” Margaery giggled.

Sansa knew Loras was gay but was surprised at how open he was being about it this year.

“He’s tired of pretending,” Margaery said when Sansa mentioned it.

“But Renly Baratheon is like 21 or something, right?”

“Yes. Too old for Loras but he’s crazy in love with him. We don’t get to choose who we love, Sansa. That reminds me…since someone seems to have a bitch for a girlfriend at the moment, maybe we should keep you occupied. My brother, Willas, is coming in town soon. He asked about you…”

“But he’s in college. He wouldn’t want to go out with me, would he?”

“Oh, I definitely think he’d go out with you in a heartbeat, darling. Will you let me set something up? Would your parents be okay with it?”

“I suppose we could got out. I’ve not really dated much, Marg. Maybe it’s best not to tell my dad just yet.”

 

Sansa saw Jon’s friends, Sam and Pyp, with some of the other band members. She’d known them for ages and particularly liked Sam and decided to go say hello. Margaery followed but didn’t say anything while they chatted. In fact, Margaery got very quiet. When Sansa returned her attention to her friend again, Margaery looked pale and frightened.

“What’s wrong? You look like you just saw someone wearing the same outfit as you,” Sansa tried to joke.

“We should go, Sansa.”

Sansa looked over to where Margaery was staring and there was a man watching them. He was about Sansa’s height but then Sansa was quite tall for a girl and he was very muscular. He had a handsome face in a way but there was something disturbing about his eyes.

“Who’s that?” Sansa asked.

“Ramsey Bolton. He’s probably around 20 and not a nice guy, Sansa. I don’t like the way he’s watching you. He and Robb have a history.”

She took Sansa’s arm and started guiding her to the parking lot. Sansa nearly jumped out of her skin when someone reached out and grasped her shoulder.

“Theon! You scared the crap out of me!”

“Why so jumpy, little cousin? I’ve not seen you in ages.”

“Well, I spent the summer at your dad’s and step-mom’s, you know.”

“Yeesh…good reason for me not to see you then, you poor thing. Let me look at you.”

Sansa felt Theon’s eyes scanning her from toe to top but she was used to his teasing ways and just let him get on with it.

“You’ve had your look. Satisfied?”

“Never but since you’re my cousin I guess I’ll have to be.”

“You are so gross, Theon.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. So, who’s your friend, Sans?”

Sansa introduced Margaery who seemed to fall back into her normal flirtatious behavior. Theon was giving Margaery more than one going over and Sansa thought she might have to say something to him when the man Margaery had warned her about came up behind Theon.

“Perhaps you’ll introduce me to your pretty friend, Theon,” he said with his eyes on Sansa.

Theon looked at Ramsey and suddenly seemed nervous.

“Uh, sure, Ramsey. This is my cousin, Sansa Stark, and her friend, Margaery Tyrell. This is Ramsey Bolton. We graduated the same year.”

Ramsey seemed to take zero notice of Margaery, a strange occurrence at any time for a heterosexual male, and looked Sansa over boldly.

“Well, hello. How old are you, Sansa?”

Sansa didn’t like the way he said her name…Sannsaahh…like he was trying to make it sound dirty.

“F-fifteen. I’ll be sixteen t-tomorrow.”

Sansa was feeling very uncomfortable and Margaery had gone pale again.

“Hmmm, sweet sixteen. How lovely.”

His voice was raspy but with a false sweetness to it. His tone made Sansa’s skin crawl and Theon was just standing there looking uncertain about what to do.

“Get the fuck away from my sister, Bolton,” a voice behind her said. 

Sansa whirled around and had never been so glad to see Robb.

“Your sister, Stark? This lovely girl is your sister. Isn’t that sweet?”

“Stay away from her,” Robb growled as he got right in Ramsey’s face.

Sansa had never seen Robb this angry with anyone who hadn’t actually done anything. Ramsey seemed unperturbed by Robb’s behavior though and gave Sansa another look before he turned to go. Theon looked uncomfortably at Robb and Sansa.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have let him talk to you, sweetheart. I’ll see you tomorrow for your party, yeah?”

Sansa nodded and reached for her brother. Robb put his arms around Sansa and offered to take her home.

“It’s alright. Margaery and I are leaving anyway. He really gave me the creeps. What’s the story with him?”

“Later, sweet girl. I’ll tell you later,” Robb said.


	5. Sweet Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's POV
> 
> It's Sansa's birthday. Will she get her wish?

Sansa woke the next morning from a nightmare. Ramsey Bolton was staring at her and she couldn’t walk away. That was it. She wasn’t sure why that had to be a nightmare but it was. She was sweaty and her heart was pounding as she sat up.

_Just a dream…it was just a bad dream_.

Margaery had told her on the ride home that he’d been accused of raping a girl when he was a senior but his dad had money and the girl changed her story. A couple of weeks before school ended, he and another boy had attacked Loras in the boys’ locker room.

“They didn’t just beat him up, Sansa. They did some things to him. He still won’t really tell me about it but he was so shaken for weeks afterwards. He made me promise to never go near him.”

Ramsey had been allowed to graduate but didn’t attend the last week of school or commencement. He left town a couple of weeks later but, obviously, he was back now. Sansa had waited for Robb to arrive to hear what he had to say. Robb was exhausted and didn’t really want to discuss it but he relented at last.

“Right after our sophomore year, Jon and I went to a bonfire with Theon in the Wolfswood. There were plenty of kids from school there but most of them were the ones that had just graduated. Jeyne was there and we’d been friendly all year but hadn’t started dating yet. Anyway, she’d headed into the woods to relieve herself and Ramsey apparently followed her. I heard her scream and she came running out the woods. She fell into my arms and said he’d tried to attack her. I should’ve just offered to get her out of there but I was stupid. I charged him when he came back to the bonfire. He was a lot stronger than I was then. Jon didn’t know what had happened but he came to my aid of course and two other graduates came to Ramsey’s. They beat the shit out of us both before Theon managed to get them to stop and took us home.”

“I remember that. You and Jon spent a lot of time talking to Dad when you came home. Mom was so upset at how black and blue you both were. Margaery told me other things about him.”

“About Loras? Yeah, I heard stories about that. Ramsey’s a nasty piece of work, Sansa. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”

“Okay, that’s fine by me,” she said with a smile. “I’m glad you were there tonight, Robb. I love you.”

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, “I love you, too. Go on to bed. Big day tomorrow.”

 

Sansa shook off the dream and the stuff she’d been told and rolled out of bed. Mom had made plans to take her for a day of beauty at the spa. They’d tried to get Arya to join them but she’d just scoffed of course. She headed down to the kitchen and found her dad making breakfast. He could cook but the kitchen was always a mess whenever he did. There was flour all over the counter and twice as many bowls and utensils than were needed were in the sink.

“Happy Birthday, Love. Made your favorite…pancakes.”

“Ah, Dad…thanks,” Sansa leaned in to give him a kiss. “Mom’s going to freak when she sees the kitchen.”

“Well, I can’t have that. I told the boys to come help me clean it up,” he replied with a wink.

The others soon joined them there to give her birthday wishes and cards. Around 10:00AM Sansa headed out with her mom to the spa.

“Don’t forget to remind Lyanna to come to dinner, Ned,” Mom had called as they left. “And make sure Bran and Rickon actually get the kitchen clean.”

They spent the next three hours getting massaged, manicured and their hair styled. Then, her mom suggested they go shopping for a bit.

“You’re spoiling me,” Sansa said.

“You’re worth a bit of spoiling, sweetheart. It’s your sweet sixteen. I’m surprised you didn’t want a big party. I’m surprised you weren’t upset about not getting a car.”

“You already said I could get one once Robb graduates. I can wait. Robb doesn’t seem to mind driving me around…and Jon can, too…sometimes. But I do want my license. And, as far as a big party goes, I see my friends at school and such. I just wanted to be with the people that matter the most tonight.”

“Alright, darling.”

They’d mostly just stuck to chit-chat during the day but, as they were driving home, Sansa wanted her mom’s opinion of Ygritte.

“Did you meet Jon’s girlfriend last night?”

Her mother looked over at her for a moment before replying. “I’m not sure he’s calling her his girlfriend exactly but yes, I met her.”

Catelyn was always polite but Sansa could sense a little disapproval in her tone. _Good_.

“Did you like her?”

“Sansa, I barely exchanged ten words with the girl. What’s this about?”

Sansa looked down at her freshly polished nails before answering. “Nothing…she just seemed kind of rude when Jon introduced her to me is all.”

“Hmm, well, I wonder why,” Cat said with a laugh.

“What’s that mean?”

“You’re a very pretty girl, Sansa. I imagine any girl that Jon is with might feel a little threatened by you.”

“Threatened? By me? Really?”

“Yes, really. Come on. Let’s get this stuff unloaded and you can help me start dinner.”

 

Sansa followed her mother in the house thinking about tonight and Jon coming over when to her surprise there was Jon sitting in the living room watching soccer with Robb. He got up from the couch when he saw her and smiled. He was wearing fitted black jeans and a flannel shirt.

_He looks so hot. How can he look so hot in black jeans and a flannel shirt? This is so not fair_.

“You’re here early,” she said trying to compose herself.

“Yeah, no big plans today until party time so thought I’d spend some time with everyone. You look gorgeous by the way. Robb said you were going to the spa.”

“Yes, it was my present from Mom and Dad.”

“Your hair looks…uh, really nice. I like the curls…the ends all curly, I mean,” he said. Sansa was surprised and rather pleased to see a blush on his face for a change.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, you look cute, Sansa,” Robb said as he gave her a quick glance.

_Cute? Gee…thanks, Robb_ …

Robb started talking about the match with Jon. As Sansa headed up stairs to drop off her shopping bags, she glanced back and saw Jon was still watching her. He smiled before heading back into the living room with Robb. Sansa reached her room and put down her bags then gave a happy sigh.

_I know exactly what I’m wishing for when I blow out my candles tonight_.

 

Sansa changed into a light blue dress for her birthday dinner but put on a pair of wooly gray socks instead of shoes... _I’m at home after all_. As she came down the stairs, she could here Robb and Jon talking. She paused on the stairs to listen when she realized what they were discussing.

“I warned her about him and to stay away but I don’t like him being back. I definitely didn’t like the way he was looking at her, knowing she was my sister especially,” Robb was saying.

Jon was quiet for a moment before answering. “We definitely should watch out for her this year. I didn’t like the way Mr. Baelish was acting towards her or that prick, Joffrey. I think she can handle Joffrey actually but Ramsey’s a different matter. She’s almost too beautiful for her own good.”

“Uh, did you really just call my sister beautiful, Snow?”

_Oh, yes, he did!_

“Uh…yeah. You’re not going to punch me now, are you?”

Robb laughed, “No. She’s my sister but I can see that she’s very pretty. So on a different topic, how are things with you and Ygritte?”

“Not so great at the moment. Sometimes she’s great and we have fun but then sometimes she just says stuff that makes me not want to be around her at all.”

Sansa smiled and thought, _At least, he’s not professing his undying love for her_.

“She still hate us?”

“Hate is a strong word, Robb.”

“Well, what would you call it?”

“I don’t know. They don’t have much. She resents people that do. I don’t have much either but she says that your dad hands me everything so I can’t understand.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah…I just wish it wasn’t always an issue between us.”

_Enough eavesdropping, Sansa_. She quietly snuck off to the kitchen to help her mom with dinner.

 

Theon and Lyanna arrived shortly before dinnertime and the house was full and noisy. Her parents always sat in the same two seats at the table but everyone else always sat wherever they pleased and Sansa was thrilled when she ended up with Jon on her right.

“You look pretty in that shade of blue, Sansa. It matches your eyes,” he said quietly as they sat down.

_Is he being serious? Does he say these things just to make me blush?_

“Um…thank you. So, tell me about the band. I talked to Sam and Pyp some last night but didn’t get to ask.”

“Oh, we’re mostly fooling around still. Pyp’s mum wants us to perform at his sister’s birthday party. She’ll be turning 11 so we’ve got that going for us,” he said with a grin.

Sansa laughed aloud and then cleared her throat and lifted her glass. “To your first gig…cheers!”

He raised his glass to the toast and they both started chuckling. Lyanna heard them and looked over at Jon.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I’m leaving Monday for a trip to visit an acquaintance in Dorne. I’ll be gone a couple of weeks. You’re 17 now. You’ll be alright by yourself, won’t you?”

“Jon is always welcome here, Lyanna. I think he’s a bit young to be home alone for that long,” her father said.

“That’s very kind of you, Ned. Whatever Jon wants then is fine with me.”

Jon was looking down at the table but Sansa could sense his turmoil of feelings. Everyone else at the table was quiet, watching Jon and Lyanna, even Rickon could sense the tension. Only Lyanna was unaware of causing any issue. Sansa loved Lyanna in a way but hated her too at times. She was forever pushing Jon away, running off to see to her own desires with little thought of him. But then she always expected him to be waiting for her return like a puppy waiting for its owner at the end of the day. And worst of all, she was always oblivious to how much she hurt him with her indifference and carelessness. Sansa moved her hand from her lap and took Jon’s hand under the table. He glanced over at her and squeezed her hand in reply.

“That’s fine, Mum. I’ll be alright at home,” he said quietly.

 

Once dinner was finished but before everyone could scatter to other places in the house, her mom brought out a huge birthday cake.

_I wish it were lemon but chocolate is nice, too_.

Sansa felt a bit embarrassed as everyone gathered around to sing “Happy Birthday” to her but, when it was time to blow out the candles, she smiled right at Jon before she closed her eyes and blew all sixteen out. The adults, Theon and Robb moved off to the living room and the younger kids went off to do their own thing. Sansa had insisted on cleaning up. Her mom had argued that it was her birthday but she refused any help, saying it was the least she could. She was scrubbing a pot with yellow, latex gloves on while wearing her mom’s ratty old apron over her dress and still in her wooly socks. She was singing to herself as she scrubbed when she noticed that Jon had entered the kitchen with a small box with a bow on top.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A present for the birthday girl,” he said with smile.

Sansa grinned and chucked off the gloves and apron. As soon as she got close enough to recognize the fancy box from her favorite pastry shop, she let out a shriek.

“No! You did not!”

“I did. I know how much you love them.”

Sansa took the box reverently from his hands. Inside the box was a personal-sized lemon cake, her favorite treat in all the world. It had a fancy little iced rose on top that was blue.

She placed it on the counter and then squealed, “Oh, you are the best, Jon Snow!” as she threw her arms around him for a hug.

As she moved back to break the hug though, he tightened his hold on her. He held her close and she could smell nothing but Jon. He smelled like soap and pine trees. He moved his hands down to her waist and pulled back just a bit. Their faces were less than a foot apart and Sansa’s heart started beating rapidly. She felt like she couldn’t quite catch her breath. He was looking at her eyes and then down at her lips and then back to her eyes. He looked nervous and he licked his lips. Sansa thought her stomach was doing somersaults and she subconsciously licked her own lips.

Jon leaned in and said in a whisper, “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen.”

Then, he kissed her gently on the lips. It was certainly longer than just a peck but short enough to leave her wanting much more. But, she just stood there staring at him afterwards and he kept staring right back. His hands were still on her waist, he was still so close…Her brain seemed to have shut down. She wanted him to kiss her again or maybe she should kiss him back? Before she could actually do anything though, they heard voices coming towards the kitchen and they broke apart.

_Holy shit…I actually got my birthday wish!_

Sansa was standing there lightly touching her lips like she just discovered that she had them and Jon was watching her intently as her dad and Theon came into the kitchen chatting about something.

_Oh, I wish I’d wished for more than one kiss!_


	6. Away Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> Poor Jon on an emotional roller-coaster. It ends well anyway.

Jon had replayed the kiss a thousand times in his mind before the weekend even ended. He hadn’t meant to kiss her really. He’d only meant to please her with the cake. But when she’d hugged him, he knew he wanted nothing so much as to kiss her. And he had wanted to kiss her again and more deeply before he’d heard Ned’s voice approaching.

_They won’t approve. I’d be risking the only real family I have. She sees me as a brother_.

He wanted to see her but seeing her would only tempt him to kiss her again or say something stupid. So, he had thrown himself into school work and avoided going to visit at Winterfell after Sansa’s party. Lyanna had left town and he busied himself around the house. His feelings for Sansa had definitely changed but he was afraid of what a relationship like that would mean for the family.

 

Later that week, Robb had come into Lit class saying Margaery had lined up a date for Sansa with her brother, Willas. He had found out the night before but, as he started relaying the story to Jon, Robb got pissed about the whole thing.

“He’s in college. He’s got no business dating a high school girl,” Robb was fuming.

“He’s just a freshman, Robb. Barely a year older than us. Did Sansa tell you about this?”

“He’s a man and she’s still just a girl. No, she didn’t tell me. I saw the text conversation on her phone.”

“You snooped?”

“Yes, I snooped. I’m her big brother and you were right about us needing to watch out for her.”

“Willas is a nice guy really,” Jon replied. _And I fucking hate him. Why am I defending that guy? I should be talking Robb into jumping him as soon as he shows his face in town_.

“Well, that _nice_ guy has decided to pop into town this weekend and take her out. She’s never even went on an actual date before…you know how Dad is.”

“She went to Homecoming last year.”

“Yeah…with another sophomore who had no driver’s license. Dropped off and picked up by Mom. Sansa’s not even mentioned him since then. Come on, Jon. That wasn’t really a date. But Willas…and, she’s lying to Mom and Dad about it. Said she’s going out with Margaery. I ought to call her out on it.”

_Yeah, Ned hates lying. He’ll ground her and she won’t get to see dickhead…am I really this awful?_

Mr. Baelish started teaching at that point and Jon had to try and focus on the day’s lesson instead of picturing Sansa in the arms of Willas Tyrell.

 

Three weeks after the party, Jon was beginning to wonder if he had imagined kissing Sansa on her birthday. She was as sweet and friendly as ever but didn’t really act any different. Of course, he didn’t either and he had continued to avoid her and Winterfell as much as possible.

_It was just a chaste kiss. She probably felt nothing even if I did_.

He’d been avoiding Ygritte while his mom was out of town as well. They had argued after the football game…about Sansa. Jon couldn’t understand why Ygritte seemed willing to believe the story Joffrey had spread around but he soon figured out that she didn’t really. She just didn’t like her…she was jealous of Sansa. Why exactly, he couldn’t be sure. But that wasn’t the only reason he’d been avoiding Ygritte. He knew what she’d be suggesting if she figured out that he was home alone for two weeks.

 

Then, Lyanna had come back from Dorne and utterly turned his world upside-down. And acted like it was no big deal. He’d listened to her excited chatter and stayed quiet. He had wanted to shout at her. He had wanted to go to his room and slam the door. He had wanted to bury his face in his pillow and cry actually but he’d just sat there listening. She was the one who ended up angry at him because he wasn’t excited by her news. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about it yet and keeping it to himself wasn’t helping the hurt go away.

 

Ygritte had been nice the whole past week so when she called and asked if he wanted to go out Friday night, he had agreed.

_I need to talk to someone and maybe she’ll understand. And if not, I guess this will be the time to decide if this is worth pursuing at all_.

He picked up Ygritte from work on Friday and suggested dinner.

“I’ve already ate. Filched some food from the kitchen while the manager was smoking. Let’s go to the park. I want your hands on me,” she purred.

Jon’s stomach was growling but he said, “Uh, okay. Park, it is then. I’d like to talk with you about something though.”

“Sure thing,” she said in a distracted voice as she fished through her purse for something.

_Maybe she’ll be more attentive later_.

 

It was later but they’d not been talking much. Ygritte was rubbing his cock through his jeans and whispering hot and dirty things in his ear. He had his hand up her shirt, feeling her breasts under her bra. He was breathing heavily as she started kissing and biting at his neck while never ceasing her hand’s movements along his bulging jeans.

“Do you have a condom?” she asked.

“Um, no…Ygritte…”

“That’s okay. I’m on the pill. I thought I had an extra one in my bag but no luck. It’s not a problem though.”

Jon wanted to protest that this wasn’t really what he’d had in mind tonight but he’d never had a girl touch him like this before and he wasn’t sure he wanted her to stop.

**Ding!**

His phone was sitting in the drink holder between them and he could see Robb’s name flash with a message.

“I’m ignoring that,” he said as he caught the look in Ygritte’s eyes.

“Good decision,” she said and started unbuttoning his jeans. “Ever had a blow job, Jon?”

“Uh, no…listen, Ygritte…”

“Well, it’s your lucky day then.”

**Ding!**

His eyes darted to the phone. It was Cat’s name that popped up this time.

“You’re still ignoring that, right?” Ygritte asked with a grin as she unzipped his jeans next.

_Dammit…dammit…dammit_

“Uh…I really want to but…I maybe should…”

Ygritte jumped back with an angry hiss. “Are you SERIOUS?!? I’m about to suck your cock and you’re worried about what _those_ people want?”

The phone then started ringing. It was Robb. Jon snatched it and answered as Ygritte let out a shriek of protest.

“This had better be REALLY IMPORTANT!” Jon snarled.

“You busy, brother?” Robb asked with a laugh. “Uh…okay, sorry…It’s kind of important and I’m really, really sorry if I’m messing up your evening but the team bus broke down on the way back from Dreadfort High and I’m stuck on the side of the road with the rest of the team.”

“So, am I supposed to drive out there and hold your hand or something?”

“No, asshole. Sansa needs a ride home from school. The cheerleaders take that passenger van and they’re probably already back at school. Mom’s got the flu and Dad’s flying back from the capitol tonight.”

“Can’t you just text her to catch a ride with Margaery or something?”

“Uh, no…see, I kind of ended up ratting her out after her date with Willas and they grounded her. She lost her phone privileges so she’s there expecting me…even though she hates me right now. I guess I could call Theon…”

“No, don’t call him. I’ll be there in ten and you owe me.”

 

Jon had buttoned himself back up and turned the engine on. Ygritte was looking out her window refusing to speak. The anger was pouring off of her in waves though…like a physical force all its own.

“I know you’re pissed. I’m sorry,” he said to the back of her head.

“Just shut the fuck up and go run their errands.”

Ordinarily, it would’ve started a fight between them but he understood that she was angry and probably embarrassed. They drove to the school in a tense silence. As Jon was pulling into a parking spot, he saw Sansa standing by the gym entrance with Mr. Baelish.

_What the hell is he doing there with her? And where is everybody else?_

“Looks like someone else is willing to give the princess a ride home or at least some kind of ride,” Ygritte said with a sneer.

Jon looked over at her for a moment and felt like he really saw her for the first time. He shook his head and got out of the car. Mr. Baelish had taken off his tweed jacket and put it over Sansa’s shoulders. He was talking low and standing much too close. He stepped back when he saw Jon approaching though.

“Mr. Snow, this is a surprise. Miss Stark thought her brother would be coming to fetch her.”

Sansa’s eyes were wide as she ran over to him. “Is Robb alright?”

“He’s fine, Sansa. Their bus broke down. Are you ready to go home?”

“Yes, please.”

She was trembling a bit and Jon didn’t think it was the chilly air that was to blame. He removed Mr. Baelish’s jacket and walked it over to his teacher and took his own jacket off to put on her.

“I’ll see you Monday, Miss Stark, Mr. Snow,” Mr. Baelish called after them.

“Sansa…” Jon started to say.

“He told me to call him Petyr right before you came. I think he was about to kiss me. I’m so glad you came to get me.”

She grasped his hand but then must of noticed Ygritte sitting in the car shooting daggers at them both because she dropped it again.

 

Ygritte said nothing to either of them as they got in the car and they had a very quiet drive to drop Ygritte off at the country club so she could retrieve her car.

“Give me a minute, Sansa,” Jon said before he followed Ygritte over to her car. “Ygritte, this is never going to work between us. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you,” he said.

“Fuck you, Jon. I hope you have fun with your little princess tonight. The Starks are lucky to have a lap dog like you.”

There were tears in her eyes but she never looked at him. She just got in her car and drove away.

_Well, that’s that then_.

Jon got back in with a sigh and rubbed his hands over his face.

“I’m sorry if I messed things up for you,” Sansa said from the backseat. She sounded like she might start crying.

“No, you didn’t mess anything up that wasn’t messed up from the beginning, pretty girl. Move up here.”

She climbed up into the front seat and they drove home to Winterfell.

 

When they got to the front door, Ned opened it with his phone still in his hand.

“Oh, thank God. I just got home and was going to come fetch you, love.”

Sansa hugged her father and said, “I’m fine, Dad. I want to get out of this uniform.” She looked back at him and asked, “Will you stay a bit, Jon?”

“Sure.”

Ned hugged Jon and thanked him for getting Sansa. He had never liked keeping things from Ned and told him how he’d found her with Mr. Baelish.

“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll see if I can have a chat with Principle Mormont on Monday.”

Jon hesitated for a moment and said, “Robb told me about Sansa losing her phone and such and I understand about why you grounded her but I think it’d be better if she had her phone on nights like this…”

“You’re right. I don’t want her out alone with no way to call us again,” Ned said. “I appreciate how much you care for her.”

_Okay, is he looking at me a bit strange? Does he suspect something? Shit_ …

“Of course, Sansa’s like a sister to me.” _Yeah…just like a sister…liar_.

 

Jon had settled down in the living room to watch some TV and Sansa came downstairs in sweatpants, a t-shirt and those ridiculous wooly socks she loved. She’d showered and her hair was still damp. She was completely lovely regardless in Jon’s opinion. Sansa was about to sit next to him when his stomach gave a very loud growl.

“Hungry?” she giggled.

“Starved. I never had dinner.”

“There’s some leftover pasta casserole in the fridge, I think. I’m hungry as well.”

They headed to the kitchen and got out plates and dished out the casserole to heat up. It felt a bit strange to Jon to be alone with her here again considering the last time he was in this room he’d kissed her. They ate for a minute or two and Jon let out a groan of pleasure.

“I love your mom’s cooking.”

“Well, she is a good cook but I made this.” Jon looked at her in surprise. “Don’t look so shocked! She’s been sick all week and I had to keep the troops fed.”

They were washing up dishes after they’d demolished the leftovers and Jon asked, “Any other hidden talents I should know about?”

Sansa laughed and replied, “I like to play the piano and sing sometimes and Mom says I can sew pretty well.”

“Since when do you play piano?”

“Uh, since about the age of 9. Don’t look like that. You never noticed what I did. You were always with Robb.”

“Yeah, well, I knew you liked shopping and those sappy vampire movies and…um, sorry, Sansa. I guess I didn’t really give much thought to all the things you like and can do.”

“It’s okay. Aren’t big brothers supposed to ignore their little sisters?” she said with a half-hearted laugh.

“I’m not your brother really but I should’ve paid more attention to you.”

Sansa smiled at that but Jon suddenly felt queasy inside. He’d started thinking about their families and that brought his mind back to Lyanna and her news. He caught Sansa staring at him and he suggested moving back to the living room.

 

They started watching a zombie movie that was on but Sansa kept covering her eyes and looking over towards him.

Jon chuckled, “Not really a fan, huh?”

“No, can we please watch something else? Anything else?”

He clicked over to one of the late night talk shows and let out a sigh.

“What’s wrong, Jon? Is it Ygritte or something else? I can tell something is bothering you.”

“No, Ygritte and I were all wrong together. I just realized it tonight though. Actually, there is something else.”

_Here goes nothing_.

“My mum went down to Dorne, you know? Well, she went to visit my dad. She’s never told me anything about him. I always assumed she either didn’t really know who my dad was or had lost all contact with him. I figured he had been a teenager like her when she got pregnant. He wasn’t. He was a married man with a family of his own. She had run away from home and lied about her age to get a job down there as an intern at this big tech corporation. It was his family’s company and he was some junior vice president or something who started banging my mum, the intern. She’s known who he was all along. I guess she thought I…I didn’t need to know…or something. She heard his wife had died and she thought she’d finally tell him he had a son by her. She…decided to tell him he has a son but…never bothered to tell me a-anything until she came back and…and now she says he wants to m-meet me. Apparently, I have a half-brother and sister in D-Dorne as well…”

Jon had gotten choked up talking and started to cry when Sansa moved closer and put her arms around him. She held him and let him cry before she finally spoke.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for your pain. I wish I could make it better.”

She touched his face and he felt her thumb brushing his tears away. She lightly kissed his cheek and then his forehead. Jon was trying to get his shuddering sobs to stop when he realized how perfect and beautiful she was, comforting him like it was the most natural thing in the world to her. As she was moving to kiss his other cheek, he turned his head slightly so that her lips met his lips instead of his cheek. Her eyes got wide and Jon thought he would die if she pushed him away but she didn’t. She kissed him on the lips again, on purpose this time. Jon wiped his eyes and let out a final shaky breath as he moved his hands up to the side of her face to run his fingers through her hair. He leaned in and gave her a deeper kiss, full of all the passion he’d fought against for weeks now. She gasped when he nipped at her bottom lip and he slid his tongue in her mouth. She made a little humming sound.

_Oh God, that sounds sweet. She tastes like heaven. I hope she won’t want to stop anytime soon_.

Sansa had one hand on his chest and reached up to run the fingers of her other hand through his hair and turned her body towards him so that they could kiss more easily. Jon was wrapping his arms around her to pull her in closer when the front door burst open with a bang and they leapt to opposite sides of the couch blushing furiously.

“God, I’m so glad to have finally made it home!” Robb announced as he plopped down on the couch between them. “I don’t _ever_ want to go to another away game again. What’s on worth watching, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robb Stark, the Cock Blocker.


	7. License to Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
>  
> 
> Sensual encounters...of the awkward and horny teenage variety.

There wasn’t anything worth watching on. Jon sincerely wished with all of his heart that Robb would get up and go to bed or at least leave him and Sansa alone for two or three minutes to talk. After several minutes of Robb flipping channels aimlessly, he found the zombie movie and Sansa got up and wished them goodnight. Ned had already suggested Jon stay the night there and he allowed just a few seconds to pass before he tried to head off to his room hoping to catch up to Sansa.

_I could at least say goodnight properly_ , he thought.

But, Robb had stopped him. “Okay, so how much do I owe you for getting Sansa? You sounded pretty pissed when I called.”

“What? Oh, that…I was with Ygritte. Your timing was awful but you did me a favor really. Anyway, it’s definitely finished between me and her now.”

“Because of me calling? I’m sorry, man.”

“Don’t be. If she can’t understand how important my family is to me, then she’s not the right girl for me.” _The right girl just went upstairs_ …

Robb was looking at him closely and Jon felt like he was being x-rayed.  _Surely, Robb doesn’t suspect anything_ …

But his next words put that fear to rest. “You alright? You look like you’ve been…I don’t know…crying or something.”

“No, I’m good.” _God, I’m not getting back into that right now_.

Robb seemed to take him at his word and smiled. “Well, we won the game…thanks for asking. But better than that even, Jeyne came to the game and actually spoke to me afterwards for a couple of minutes,” Robb said with a big smile.

“Good for you, brother. I hope it works out. Listen, I’m kind of beat. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

 

Jon headed upstairs and down the hall towards his room. Everyone else was long since in bed. He stopped outside Sansa’s door. It looked dark under the door so he started to walk on past when she opened the door a crack and peeked out at him with a grin. They looked at each other for a moment before she grabbed his arm and tugged him into her room. He barely got the door closed before she pushed him up against it and started kissing him.

“Sansa…” he groaned as she pressed her body up against his.

“I’m sorry but we didn’t get to say good night properly.” She kissed him again. “I couldn’t help waiting for you,” she said as she worked her way to his neck.

Jon pulled her up closer and started kissing her back. He kissed her sweet lips with bruising force and waged a battle with her tongue trying to claim every bit of her mouth. The more they kissed the harder Jon got. Sansa rocked against him at one point and gasped when she felt his erection. Her eyes got wide and Jon thought maybe he should apologize until she pressed herself more firmly up against him. They both let out a moan…a much louder moan than was wise under the circumstances. They both froze and listened for a minute. It was still quiet in the hall.

“This isn’t a good idea, Sansa. I need to go to my room.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Please, don’t be sorry for this. Leaving you is the last thing I want to do. I would like to keep breathing though so maybe we can do this some more and if your brother or, God forbid, Ned catches me here, I may not be breathing much longer.”

Sansa giggled but then said, “Jon, you don’t think this is crazy, do you? Us?”

“No, I don’t but it may take time to work it out with your family.” He took her face gently in his hand and looked her in the eye. “And if this is crazy, I’m all for crazy, Sansa.”

Sansa let out a breathy laugh and kissed him once more before letting him go. Jon slipped down the hall to his own room. He knew he’d never go to sleep without some relief. He stripped down to his underwear and climbed into bed before grasping his aching cock. Within a minute or so he was silently mouthing her name as he came and then he fell into an exhausted but contented sleep.

 

The next morning, Jon found Sansa and the rest of the family except Ned and Robb sitting in the kitchen.

_Good…I can’t look Ned in the eye right now_.

Sansa was standing by the stove, sipping some juice and wished him good morning in a sing-song voice with an arch little grin. Jon grinned back at Sansa and headed to the table. Arya, Bran and Rickon were busy bickering amongst themselves at the table and Arya was soon trying to get Jon to see her side of things. Cat said she was feeling a bit better and was trying to fix breakfast though Jon thought she looked like she still belonged in bed.

“Where’s your dad?” he asked the room in general.

“He had to go check on some issues at the factory this morning,” Sansa answered.

Cat came over to the table at that point and kissed Jon on top of the head before she ran a loving hand through his curls. “Where have you been hiding, sweetheart? I’ve barely seen you the past month except for Sansa’s party and the football game.”

“Sorry, Cat. School and stuff at home.”

“Well, I guess I can accept that but I hope you don’t make a habit of it. Actually, I’ve got a favor to ask if you don’t mind. Ned and I are going away next weekend for our anniversary and Sansa has been such a help around the house while I’ve been sick all week. Would you mind taking her to the DMV to take her driver’s license test Monday after school? She has to have a licensed driver take her there and Robb has practice. She’s been asking and I feel bad to keep putting her off and it might be useful for her to have her license while we’re away.”

“Of course, Cat. And I’ll try not to cringe too much when she drives me home.” Sansa threw her napkin at him as Arya and the boys laughed.

 

Jon was dreading Monday morning in Trigonometry with Ygritte. They had assigned seats and hers was next to him. He wasn’t looking forward to being in close proximity to her after Friday night. His concerns were allayed though when she did not appear in class. He didn’t see her in school at all in fact.

 

On Monday afternoon, Jon and Sansa were holding hands as they headed through the parking lot to his car. He spotted Ygritte walking towards her car but didn’t think much of it. If she ditched Trig to avoid him, that was her choice. He opened the car door for Sansa but couldn’t resist giving her a quick kiss as she started to climb in. She laughed as he looked around in a panic the next moment though.

“Relax…Robb’s at practice, remember?”

“Yeah…sorry,” he laughed. He went around to get in the driver’s side. “Are you sure you want to go to the DMV? It takes forever there. We could find other things to do,” he said with a grin.

“I want my license. After that, I’ll be happy to celebrate with you,” she replied.

He leaned over to kiss her again, long and deep and sweet this time. “You sure?”

“Drive, Mr. Snow. I want my license,” she said primly. Jon smiled and pulled out of the parking lot.

 

Ninety minutes later, an elated Sansa marched over to show him her brand new license. He lifted her up for a spinning hug in the middle of the DMV, as the old ladies behind the counter clucked their tongues at them.

“So, where will we go to celebrate?” she asked as they walked back to his car.

“Some place your brother won’t burst in on us preferably. We could go to my house. My mum’s at work until six. If that’s okay with you…”

“Um, okay but…”

“I’m not suggesting sex, Sansa. We’re not going to do that…not until we’re both ready, okay? We can go wherever you want.”

She gave a small sigh of relief and smiled. “No, your house is fine…but I get to drive.”

 

Despite what he’d said, the thoughts of being alone with Sansa at his house had Jon trying hard to contain his excitement. He was actually glad she was driving as he tried to focus on anything that didn’t involve a naked Sansa. It was already 5:30 when they arrived so he’d have to keep that in mind, too. He felt incredibly awkward unlocking the front door as she stood uncertainly behind him. They stood in the living room for a full minute just looking around and not at each other. Jon shoved his hands in his pockets and started to make a suggestion.

“So…we could…” he got out before she cut him off.

“I think we should.”

“Should what?”

“What you were going to say.”

“So, you think we should watch some TV?”

“No! I thought you were going to say something else.”

“Sansa, I’m not a mind reader. You’re not either. What do _you_ want to do?”

He was glad that she laughed. “I want to make out but stay here in the living room,” she said decisively.

“I think I like your idea a whole lot more than mine,” he said as he pulled her over to the couch.

Sitting side by side on the couch, kissing and touching, felt like the best possible way to spend an afternoon at first. But as they continued, it became a sort of sweet torture. Their hands were very busy exploring one another now and, when Jon moved a hand down between Sansa’s legs, her moan made him feel like he might make a mess in his jeans very soon.

“Oh, Jon. That feels so good.”

_If you keep talking like that and making those sounds, I’m definitely going to need to change clothes_ …

Jon leaned into Sansa until she laid back and he was on top of her. They writhed against each other as they kissed. The pressure of her pressed against his cock was almost too much to bear as Sansa was delving her tongue deeply into his mouth. The feeling of being so close to coming apart but not quite reaching it was agony but wonderful, too.

But his jeans were restrictive and he hoped she wouldn’t take it the wrong way when he asked, “Sansa, can I take my jeans off? It’s a bit uncomfortable. I’ll keep my boxers on.”

She stopped kissing his neck and moving under him and looked at him. He was hoping he’d not pushed too far when she finally said, “Yes.”

Her eyes were darker than usual and she watched him intently as he stripped off his jeans and then took his shirt off as well. He sat back down in nothing but his boxers and Sansa lightly ran her hands over his chest. He shivered at her touch though her hands were soft and warm as she caressed his skin and squeezed his biceps. She started kissing him again and Jon slid his hands under her shirt. He could feel her warm stomach and hips as his hands roamed. As his hands moved up towards her breasts, he felt her lacy bra and cupped one hand over the fabric, his fingers lightly skimming the top of her breast. Sansa broke their kiss and stood to take her shirt off.

“You don’t have to,” he said as she reached to unclasp her bra.

“I’ll be more comfortable, too,” she said coyly.

She was an absolute vision. Her breasts were lovely and firm and her nipples were pink and hardened. She slipped her pants off until she was standing before him in only a pair of pink panties. Her lovely red hair was mussed and her lips were swollen from their kisses.

_There could never be a lovelier sight in all the world than her_ , he thought.

“You are so beautiful,” he said as he pulled her back down on the couch to straddle his lap.

They began kissing again and pressing up against one another. She moved her hips to rub up against him and started moaning. Jon suspected she was getting the right pressure to her sensitive nub from his cock and grasped her hips to rock her against him more firmly. He dipped his head down to start kissing and licking her breasts. Sansa was soon reduced to whimpers and moans of pleasure.

_I can make her come like this_ , Jon realized.

It was suddenly the only thing he wanted to do. She got louder as she was building up to her peak. Jon had never done anything quite like this but was pretty sure he was doing alright by the sounds she was making. Sansa grinding against him even with their underwear on as he suckled one breast and then the other was such a glorious sight. She was flushed from her head to her chest.

“Oh, Jon, don’t stop…Don’t stop…please, Jon…oh, yes. Oh, yes…yes, yes, YES!!!”

He couldn’t hold another thought in his head but how wild and beautiful she looked riding out her orgasm.

 

As she let out a final shudder of pleasure, she smiled at him and clearly saw the desire in his eyes. She scooted back down his thighs and pulled down his boxers enough to grasp his shaft. She began stroking him but very tentatively. Jon reached down to guide her hand, encouraging her to hold him more tightly while he set the pace for her. She stroked him with more confidence and was watching him intently. He was sure he was making the most ridiculous faces but he couldn’t seem to care as she continued and he got closer to what his body was screaming for.

“Oh, God,” he panted. “Sansa, I’m going to come…”

“It’s alright. I want you to. I want to see you come, Jon,” she said as she kept stroking him and watching his face.

In the next moment, he did…all over her hand and his stomach. They both snickered together for a moment like children before he reached for his t-shirt to wipe them off. It was nearly 6 and they needed to leave. Jon fetched another shirt from his room and he found Sansa nearly dressed when he came back in the living room. She was smiling shyly at him and Jon felt like his heart had just melted for the thousandth time since Friday night. He took her face in his hands and kissed her soundly on the mouth before he pressed his forehead against hers.

“I love you. We’re going to figure this out…with your family, I mean. But one thing isn’t going to change…I love you, Sansa.”

“I love you, too.”


	8. A Woman Scorned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's POV

Jon let her drive his car home and didn’t cringe once on the drive. Sansa jumped out of the driver’s seat and was heading up the walk when Jon called her back to the car. He was already standing at the driver’s side.

“Aren’t you coming in with me?”

He shook his head. “No,” he grinned sheepishly, “your dad’s car is here. I don’t think I can look him in the eye at the moment after doing…what we did earlier. I’m going to talk to him about us and how I feel about you but just not today, okay?”

“We can talk to him together when you’re ready. I guess we’re kind of under wraps until then, huh?”

He nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Sansa watched him pull off and went in to show off her brand new license to her parents.

 

The next few days at school they would find each other when they could for a moment or two. They rarely did more than talk or hold hands briefly. The Wolves had an open date for Friday so Robb has able to drive her home the rest of the week. Sansa really wished she had her phone back so she could call or text Jon at least. But then on Thursday night, her dad came to her room with her phone in his hand.

“Your mother and I are leaving tomorrow after we pick up Arya, Bran and Rickon from school. They’ll be here waiting for you and Robb so come straight home.”

Sansa nodded.

“You need your phone back while we’re gone so I’m going to cut your punishment short. Sansa, you’re growing up. It’s okay for you to date boys, just don’t sneak around, yeah?”

Sansa’s eyes clouded with guilty tears and she reached for her dad. “I’m sorry I lied, Daddy.”

He patted her back, waiting for her tears to stop. “I’m sure Willas is a nice young man...if you wanted to see him again…”

“No. I mean, he’s nice but I didn’t feel anything towards him.” _There’s someone else…someone I love_ , she wanted to say.

Her father smiled and continued, “You and Robb must take care of your sister and younger brothers while we’re gone. Arya’s going to be staying with her friend, Shireen, Saturday night but the boys will be here. I don’t want you and Robb fighting. I know you’re still a bit mad at him but he only acted out of love for you. I’ve asked Jon to come stay and help out as well. We’re leaving your mom’s car here. If you need it to run errands or something, you can take it.”

He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll be back late Sunday,” he said as he turned to go.

Sansa sat on her bed feeling wretched.

 _I’m lying to him again. I hate lying to him. I should tell the truth but I want Jon to be here when I do_.

 

She looked over at her phone and turned it on for the first time in two weeks. She went over to her dresser to wipe her eyes and fix her hair from her cry while the phone came to life and the notifications started. It sounded like she was getting a ton of texts.

 _That’s a bit weird. My friends and the family all knew I’d lost my phone privilege. I don’t really text anyone else regularly_.

Sansa walked back over to the phone. She had 288 new text messages. She opened the message center and they were all from a number she didn’t have in her contacts. She clicked on the most recent message that had apparently came through 30 minutes earlier.

 **UNKNOWN: 6:18PM** YOU ARE A FUCKING CUNT!!!

Sansa gasped and looked at the one that had been sent a few minutes before that.

 **UNKNOWN: 6:14PM** YOU’RE A SLUT, SANSA STARK! I HOPE YOU DIE!!!

Her hands were shaking as she scrolled back through the messages to the first one. It was from Monday afternoon.

 **UNKNOWN: Monday 3:42PM** DID YOU FUCK HIM ALREADY? YOU ARE SUCH A BITCH!!!

They were all like that. All 288 messages were filled with nothing but awful words and Sansa felt afraid.

 _He kissed me in the parking lot Monday before we left school_.

She knew who she thought had sent them but there was only one way to find out and she hated telling him this.

 

“Hey, you got your phone back,” he said as he answered.

“Yeah. Uh…Jon, I need to talk to you. I’d really like to see you in person…now.”

“I’m over at Sam’s rehearsing a bit but I could come there later. Or I can come now if you really need me.”

“Can I come there? I know where Sam lives. I think my parents would let me come over. If you think it’d be okay…I just really need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure. Are you alright?”

“I will be when I’m with you.”

 

Her mom had been a bit reluctant to let her go. Sansa told them she was going to Sam’s and that she wanted to ask Jon about something. _That was the truth at least_. Sansa could almost hear the wheels turning in her mother’s mind. She finally agreed though and allowed her to take the car.

“Be home by 10:00. It’s a school night, Sansa.”

Sansa drove over to Sam’s and walked towards the garage when she heard them playing. She could hear singing and smiled when she realized it was Jon.

 _I’ve never heard him sing. He has a nice voice_. She stood behind them so they wouldn’t see her. He was playing guitar and singing. Pyp was playing the drums and was the back-up vocals and Sam was playing the bass. Sansa thought they sounded pretty good together. The song was kind of sad and moody but suited Jon. She didn’t recognize it.

 _I wonder if he wrote it_.

When the song ended, Sansa clapped and all three of them turned around. Jon looked a bit embarrassed but Sam and Pyp smiled broadly.

“Look, we’ve got a fan. Yay for us!” Pyp joked.

“I’m impressed. Maybe I’ll book you for Rickon’s 10th birthday party in December,” Sansa said.

Pyp and Sam laughed at that but then noticed that Jon was just staring at her.

“I think that’s good for tonight, guys,” Sam said.

Jon nodded to them and followed Sansa to the driveway carrying his guitar.

“Can we go somewhere to talk?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied. He put his guitar case in the backseat of his car. “I’m hungry actually. Is the diner okay?”

“That’d be great. I’ll follow you there.”

“Sansa, is there something…did I do something wrong?” Jon asked with an anguished look.

“What?! No! Why would you think that?”

“You just sounded strange on the phone and you’re acting strange now. I thought maybe you were upset with me.”

“Well, things are a bit strange but it’s nothing you’ve done. This is something else.”

She hugged him and gave him a kiss. He seemed to relax then and they drove separately to the diner.

 

The Dunk n’ Egg Diner was another popular spot with the high school kids but not so busy on a Thursday night. They grabbed a booth towards the back and Sansa asked Jon to sit next to her. She waited for the waitress to come take their orders before she started talking.

 _It’s so cozy and private feeling here tucked into the corner. I hope I don’t kill all the romantic feelings tonight with this bullshit_.

“Dad gave me my phone back early because of their trip. I don’t know whose number this is but I’m wondering if you do.”

She handed him her phone with the message center open. Jon looked at the number and then started reading the messages. His face went from normal to ghostly pale then to red with anger.

“It’s not her number but I’m sure it’s her! I can’t believe she’s like this but I can, too. Sansa, I’m so sorry!”

Sansa felt terrified and happy at the same time. _Is this what love does to you?_ She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little afraid of Ygritte and her threats and ugly words but she felt happy too now that she’d shared this with Jon and he was by her side.

“What do you think I should I do?” she asked him once he looked calmer.

“You’re not going to do anything. I’ll try and find a way to handle this. We need to talk to your dad though, tonight.”

“What? They’re leaving tomorrow. He won’t want to go if he’s worried about me and Mom’s been looking forward to this for ages.”

 

Jon said he’d think about it as their food arrived. Sansa didn’t think she’d be able to eat much at first but as they sat there together with Jon’s hand on her thigh and leaning into one another she felt safe and happy. She decided maybe eating was a good idea and dug into the loaded fries and shake she’d ordered even though she’d already eaten at home with her family.

 _We’ve had so little time to talk or anything since Monday. This is nice just being together_.

Jon finished his burger and started helping her with her fries. She liked the feel of his curls against her cheek when he’d lean over and snatch a fry from her fingers with his mouth before she could eat it. She would giggle when he missed one of them and then he’d kiss her. They were still smiling at each other and holding hands when the waitress brought the bill looking at them fondly.

“You kids look so sweet together,” she said.

They both blushed as Jon paid.

 

They were still holding hands in the parking lot on the way to their cars when Jon froze. Sansa looked up and saw what had made him stop. Across the hood of her mother’s car, a word was scratched very plainly in letters about a foot tall… **SLUT**. Sansa’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at the car and then swiftly around the nearly empty parking lot. Her head started spinning and she then turned and vomited on the sidewalk. Jon’s eyes were scanning the parking lot, too, searching for signs of the one who had done this. He held on to her waist as she was sick. Once she finished, she pulled herself together to wipe her face off.

“I’m taking you home, Sansa. We need to talk to your dad.”

She nodded and leaned into him. “What are we going to do?” she moaned.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ygritte's not the kind of girl to just go away without some sort of drama, I suppose.


	9. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Sansa talk to her parents about their relationship and other issues.
> 
>  
> 
> Most of chapter is Jon's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting with this chapter, other characters' POVs will be introduced at times. Jon and Sansa are still the principal characters of course but there will be times that the perspective of others will be utilized. 
> 
> This chapter is Jon's POV until right at the end, after the line break.
> 
> Most of the time when I switch POV during a chapter, I will identify whose POV I've switched to but not in this particular chapter.

Jon took Cat’s keys from Sansa and helped her into the passenger seat. Sansa was still very pale and looked like she could be ill again at any moment. Jon gripped the steering wheel with his hands so tight his knuckles were white and he could feel him arms shaking. He’d seen Ygritte in the parking lot on Monday and figured she may have seen him and Sansa walk to his car together. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time. He was too happy to be with Sansa.

_She probably saw me kiss Sansa. But she sent the first text immediately afterwards. How’d she have Sansa’s number and whose phone is she using?_

Ygritte had returned to Trig class on Tuesday but had asked to move to another seat. He could feel her eyes on him at times but was hoping in time that she would just forget him and move on.

 

Looking back now, he knew she must’ve still been angry with him and no doubt hurt as well. Their on again-off again relationship from the summer hadn’t seemed too serious to him but, if he were being honest, he now had to admit that she probably thought it was. One of the things he had originally liked about Ygritte was her forthrightness. Of course, she had wounded him at times by being so very blunt but at least he always knew what she was thinking. She had always made it plain how much she liked him. But, he had never liked her jealous streak at all, especially when it was aimed at the Starks. The Starks had never done anything to her, Sansa included. So, why would she would lash out at Sansa when he was the one that hurt her? He did not know. But he did know that he was in love with Sansa and he wanted to do everything he could to shield her from further pain or fear.

 

It was a quarter til 10 when they walked into the house hand in hand. Ned and Cat were sitting on the couch obviously relishing a few minutes alone together without any kids around. Cat took one look at Sansa though and sprang up from her husband’s arms.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Sansa nodded to her mother and started to cry.

“She threw up, Cat. And she needs to talk to you about some things.”

As Sansa and her mother headed upstairs, he forced himself to look over at Ned, the man he considered his father, and swallowed hard. “I really need to talk to you.”

“Come on, then,” Ned replied evenly, “we can talk in my study.”

He followed Ned into the study trying to get his heart to stop hammering in this chest. Ned closed the door and gestured for him to sit. Jon’s breath seemed to catch in his throat and his hands were sweaty.

 _I can’t lose her but I couldn’t stand to lose them either_.

“This isn’t about your mum’s trip to Dorne, is it?” Ned asked.

Jon was momentarily at a loss at the unexpected topic. “I didn’t know she’d told you about that.”

“She did. She’s surprised that you aren’t excited about meeting your father. I tried to make her understand how overwhelming this must be for you but Lyanna’s always had difficulty…”

“Understanding anyone’s feelings but her own? Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Jon said bitterly. “I don’t want to meet him. He’s just some stranger. He’s not ever been a father to me. You’re the only father I’ve ever known.”

Jon could feel the tears gathering in his eyes and he wiped them furiously away. _Not now…This isn’t what I’m here for_. But Ned didn’t see it that way. He came over to sit by Jon and put his arm around him.

“You are my son, always. In my heart, I’ll never think of you any other way.”

Jon couldn’t wipe the tears away now, they were falling too fast. He let Ned hold him as the tears silently rolled down his face and his guilt finally pushed him to confess what he feared would destroy his relationship with this man who meant so much to him.

“But what if I’ve done something that you could never forgive…”

Ned smiled and said, “Like loving Sansa?” Jon pulled back with shock and looked at Ned with his mouth hanging open. Ned actually laughed at him. “I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other recently. Cat and I have been wondering if either of you would act on your feelings or just keep trying to ignore them.”

“You’re not angry then? You don’t hate me?” Jon tried not to winch as he asked.

“I could _never_ hate you. I love you. Cat loves you. I meant what I said when I said you were my son but you’re not my blood and I know my daughter loves you. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at you. And I see it in the way you look at her, too.”

“I do love her. I love her more than I could’ve ever imagined loving someone.”

“Good. I already know what a good person you are, Jon. I could never let my daughter be with a man I couldn’t respect. I know you’ll be good to one another.”

“Thank you. I was so afraid to tell you.” Jon took another deep breath before he continued, “But we’ve got a problem and we need your help.”

 

Jon led Ned out to the driveway and showed him Cat’s car. Then, he told him about the text messages on Sansa’s phone.

“You think Ygritte did this?”

Jon nodded and said, “I think so.”

“We should probably call the police. The texting is bad but the vandalism can’t be ignored. She or someone did this while you were in the diner?”

“Yes. Sansa was already frightened by the messages but the car really sent her over the edge. I’m frightened, too. I told her I’d handle it but I don’t really know that to do. I could only think of talking to you.”

“That was a wise decision. You’re both still kids. You were right to come to me with this. I’ll call the police. I know a man on the force pretty well. He’s a bit intimidating but he’ll know how to deal with this.”

 

An hour later, Sansa and Jon sat on the couch together holding hands, carrying on a whispered conversation while they waited. Sansa had told her Mother about them. She’d shared more details with her mother than Jon had with Ned but left out their trip to Jon’s house on Monday afternoon.

 _Well, at least I’m not a dead man yet then…until Robb finds out_.

The doorbell rang and Ned went to answer it.

“Sandor,” he said quietly, “thanks for coming over. You know Cat of course. Let me introduce you to my daughter, Sansa, and Jon Snow. This is Captain Clegane. He’s been with Wintertown PD for over 20 years.”

He was enormous and he certainly looked intimidating. He had a hideous burn covering much of the right side of his face but his eyes were kind, especially as he shook Sansa’s hand.

“I saw the car, Ned. Sansa, may I have a look at your phone?”

Sansa nodded and went to fetch it from her purse. He took out a notebook and started asking Jon questions about the night; where all they’d been, what time they left Sam’s, the diner, etcetera. Then he asked about Ygritte and Jon’s relationship; how they had met, how long they had dated, what he knew about her and her family. He took Sansa’s phone with him and got up to go outside and Ned followed.

Cat came over to them and said, “We need to go fetch your car from the diner later, Jon. Would it be alright if Ned and I go get it for you?”

“I can get it if you’ll give me a ride there. I should probably go on home.”

“You are home. I’ve called Lyanna and told her you’d be staying here. Let me have your keys. You both should probably go on to bed. To your own beds,” she said with a grin.

Jon smiled despite his embarrassment at her comment. They both hugged Cat and started to head up the stairs as the front door opened and a very worried-looking Robb came in.

“Why are you coming in this late on a school night, Robb Stark?” Cat barked out when she saw him.

“I’m sorry, Mom. Why is there a cop here and what happened to your car?” he asked as he gestured towards the door.

“I’ll answer your questions once you’ve answered mine.”

“Well, I was at the library…with Jeyne.”

“The library, is it? The library has been closed for two hours at least.”

“We were, uh, talking…after…”

“Get up to your rooms, all of you. I’ll come talk to you shortly, Robb. And don’t pretend you’re asleep when I get there!”

Cat headed outside and Robb looked at Jon and Sansa.

“What is going on?” he asked.

Sansa answered before Jon could, “Later, sweet brother. I’ll tell you later.”

 

* * *

 

“Why did you do that?”

“I thought it would be funny. I like to imagine their fear when they saw it. I like to think how lovely she would be when she’s frightened. It would’ve been better if I could’ve stayed and watched. Oh, don’t look like that. You know what I like.”

“They’ll probably call the police now.”

“They could’ve called the police over your little messages, too. Didn’t stop you. You seemed rather eager when we started that.”

“I…I was angry.”

“You’re not angry now?”

“No…yes…I don’t know.”

“I hope you’re not going to be all boring now. I don’t like boring things. We could be having much more fun than this, you know.”

“Fun for you, you mean.”

“Well, yes…that’s the idea.”


	10. Home Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horny teenage lovebirds are home alone. Later followed by some angst and then some sibling interactions.

**Sansa-**

She hadn’t fallen asleep until after 2AM. Her alarm went off and she smacked the clock hard to shut it off. Her eyes felt so heavy. As consciousness returned though, her heart started pounding.

_How can I face school today if she’s there? Do we pretend nothing has happened? Or do I confront her?_

Sansa laid there trying to find the will to get out of bed when she heard raised voices right outside her door. Her mother came in a minute later.

“How are you feeling, my dear?”

“Tired…and nervous.”

Her mother came over and felt her forehead and stroked her cheek. “I want you to stay home today. You had a very upsetting evening and a late night. You can miss a day of school.”

Sansa felt like suddenly she could breathe again. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Well, you’ll have to go back Monday so it’s still going to be there but I think a long weekend might help. I’ve told Jon I think he should stay out today as well. Captain Clegane will be coming by later this morning to bring your phone back. He may have some more questions. I’ve got to take Arya and the boys to school and then I’m going to my yoga class but I should be home around 10. Your dad was going to come home at noon for us to pack but... Sansa, I think maybe we’ll just cancel our trip and stay home.”

“No! Don’t do that because of me. I want you and Dad to go have your anniversary trip. I couldn’t stand for this crap to spoil that for you. Robb will be here…and Jon. We’ll be okay.”

Robb knocked and poked his head in the door. “Are you letting them both stay here…alone? Together? I was up late, too. Maybe I should stay here, too.”

“You will be going to school today. If you’d been home at curfew, you wouldn’t have been up so late.”

Robb was grumbling to himself as he closed the door and stormed off.

“Did you tell him about me and Jon?” she asked her mother.

“Yes, I mentioned it. He didn’t take it too well but he might as well know. It would be a hard secret to keep all weekend and, if your father and I don’t object, he doesn’t really have a reason to. Don’t worry, Sweetheart. Robb will get used to the idea. Give him a little time.” Her mother smoothed the covers down over her before saying, “Sansa…you’re not a grown-up yet. I love Jon like a son and you are my daughter. I know what it’s like to be young and in love but…don’t get too far ahead of yourselves...”

“Mom!”

“I know you don’t want to hear that.”

“No, I don’t…but I know what you’re trying to say.”

Sansa asked her mom to text Margaery and ask her to get her assignments for the day. She then decided to fall back asleep.

 

When she woke again, the house was quiet and the morning sun was already well up. She looked over at the clock.

_8:45AM…everyone will be gone by now, everyone but Jon_.

She started to roll over but gave a squeal when she realized Jon was lying in bed next to her, watching her.

“God! You scared me!”

“Sorry,” he said with a sleepy grin. “I waited until Robb finally pulled out and came in here. You were sleeping so soundly that I decided to just lay here and watch you but I nodded off for a bit.”

“Was Robb awful to you?”

“He’s not exactly calling me ‘brother’ at the moment. He’s not punched me yet though so there’s hope.”

Sansa smiled and leaned in to kiss him. He slowly pulled her up against him and kissed her back.

“My mom won’t be back for at least an hour.”

“Captain Clegane is coming by.”

“True but probably not this early. Whatever will we do with our time this morning?” she asked with a smirk.

“Hmmm, I can think of some things,” he replied with a wide smile. “I’d like to…Sansa, I’d like to see you…all of you. Is that okay?”

Sansa blushed and nodded before she pulled her pajamas off. She loved the way he stared at her body, like he was looking at something so mesmerizing, like he was trying to commit every detail to memory.

“You are so beautiful, Sansa. I could stare at you all day and be content,” he said in a husky voice.

“Well, time’s ticking by if you want to do something besides stare.”

He laughed and then wrapped one arm around her backside to cradle her ass and touched her face with the other. “Can’t we just stay here all day?”

“No…and it’s your turn to strip, mister,” she teased.

Jon pulled off his t-shirt and boxers. Suddenly, it was Sansa’s turn to enjoy exploring his body. She loved touching his broad chest and arms, the light sprinkling of hair that coated his skin. They started kissing again and as the kisses got deeper and more passionate, Sansa reached down to touch his hard cock.

“Oh, Sansa…can I touch you like that, too?”

“Yes.”

Jon reached down and caressed the golden red curls on her mound and then dipped his hand between her thighs to slide his fingers along her folds. They were kissing and she was starting to stroke his shaft when he entered her with his finger. Sansa let out a little gasp and he used his thumb to circle her clit.

“Is this alright?” he asked as he slid a second finger inside.

“Ah…Jon. That’s…uh, good…so good.”

“Fuck, Sansa. You are so wet and tight, my sweet girl,” he said with a moan while she continued stroking him.

_We’re going to get each other off this way_ , she thought with a devilish glee.

Sansa thought maybe she should be feeling embarrassed by this but she couldn’t bring herself to feel a bit of shame. She stroked his cock faster and her grip tightened a bit and he was groaning soon with such sweet need in his voice. She loved the sounds he made and loved the feeling of power she was experiencing knowing that she was bringing him pleasure. All the while, his fingers worked her wetness making her writhe against his hand. They were staring into each other’s eyes for the longest time but then Jon lowered his head and began to kiss and suck at her nipples, making her moan. And soon Sansa was moaning rather loudly but she didn’t care. No one was there except them. The whole world could’ve disappeared and she wouldn’t have noticed. Nothing existed but him and her and the wonderful things he was doing with his fingers. She gasped out his name as she felt herself getting close which only seemed to excite him more.

“That right, pretty girl. Say my name while I fuck you with my fingers. God, you are so hot. I’m going to come all over your lovely tits.”

His dirty talk increased her own excitement in turn and soon she was screaming his name. “Jon! Oh, Jon! JON! YES…Oh, Jon…FUCK!”

Their faces were mere inches apart as he watched her come and she saw his face screw up in pleasure as his own release came soon after. “Fuck, Sansa! Oh, fuck! YES!!!”

Sansa felt the warm, wet evidence of his release spill across her arm, her chest and her breasts and leaned in closer to kiss him again.

He let out a chuckle as he kissed her back and said, “I don’t know about you but that is much more fun for me with you than doing that alone has ever been.”

Sansa couldn’t help but laugh and she playfully smacked his arm. Then, he looked at her with a mischievous smile and stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked them clean. Sansa’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped which made him laugh out loud.

“You taste so good. I think I know what I’m going to do with you next time we have the opportunity.”

“You are wicked, Jon Snow. And to think, my mother was telling me we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves before she left.”

“Oh, I think you started it actually. I was innocently trying to point out our time constraints and that your mother and possibly the captain would be coming here.”

“You came to my bed. You asked me to take my clothes off. Then…”

“Okay, okay. You win,” he said as he pulled her for another kiss.

 

Time was ticking by so they finally got out of bed and into the shower. Sansa and Arya shared a connecting bathroom between their bedrooms and Jon was laughing about the girly shampoos and fruit-scented body wash.

“I’ll smell like Loras Tyrell,” he said and Sansa threw her wash cloth at him.

She was standing under the water as he washed her back when he asked, “Can I wash your hair, Sansa?”

“Yes, I’d love that but only if you’ll let me do the same to you.”

Somehow his hands massaging her scalp and running through her hair as he watched her seemed every bit as intimate as all they had done earlier. Sansa loved feeling his soft, wet curls as she returned the favor and Jon let out a moan.

“That feels amazing.”

Sansa smiled to herself. Having someone wash her hair and massage her scalp was her favorite part of going to the salon. She doubted Jon had ever had that experience though and this was far more special anyway.

Once they were dry and dressed, they headed to the kitchen. Sansa had started a pot of coffee since she knew he liked it and was rummaging through the pantry to find some breakfast when the doorbell rang. Jon went to answer and was followed into the kitchen by Captain Clegane.

“I brought your phone back, Sansa. No more messages came last night but that doesn’t mean there won’t be anymore. Be sure not to delete any of them, okay? I’ll be checking in to see if you’re still getting those texts.”

“Okay. Would you like some coffee?”

“That’d be great. Your mum’s not home?”

“No, she’ll be back soon though.”

The big man seemed to give them both an appraising look that made Sansa feel yet another blush coming on. He grinned to himself and sipped his coffee but said nothing.

“Cat thought we maybe should stay home from school today,” Jon said, as he nervously cleared his throat.

Clegane chuckled and said, “I’m not the truancy officer. You both had a rough night, I’d say. We ran the number you’re getting those messages from. It’s a burn phone. Sorry, that’s cop-talk. You know, one of those pay-as-you-go wireless phones you can pick up at the gas station. We know it was purchased here in town but that’s it. We can’t track a location for it. I had some forensic guys looking your mom’s car over last night but no prints of interest were found. We’ll try and see if anyone saw anything at the diner parking lot last night but that’s probably not going to amount to anything. I’m going to send a couple of unis over to talk to Miss Wilde after school if possible. She’s 18, you said?” he asked Jon.

“Yeah, she turned 18 right after school started.”

“Good, I’d rather a parent be with her anyway but at least it’s not required if she’s 18.”

Sansa got up and started making eggs and bacon and toast and let Jon and the captain talk.

“I’ve told Ned to go ahead and take Cat on their trip but since it’s just going to be you kids here, I told him I’d have a patrol car in the neighborhood this weekend as much as possible.”

He gave them his personal number in case they needed him. Captain Clegane actually looked a bit overcome when she sat a plate down in front of him.

“It’s the least I can do for all your kindness, Captain.”

“Thank you, Sansa. I don’t get many home-cooked meals.”

_That is so sad. He’s such a nice man_.

“Dad said you’d been a cop for 20 years.”

“Yeah, 22 years actually. I started on patrol but moved up to detective a few years later.” He looked over at Jon. “Your uncle’s murder was the first case I ever worked as detective. I felt terrible for your mum and Ned. You were just a little thing when I came to the house that night to break the news. At least we caught the son of a bitch.”

After they finished eating, Captain Clegane headed to the door as Sansa’s mother was pulling in. He spoke with her for a few minutes in the driveway and Sansa saw her hug him briefly before he got in his unmarked car and drove off.

“You both alright?” she asked as she came into the house.

“Yes, Mom. We’re fine. I feel strange being here on a school day when I’m not sick. Can I do anything to help you?”

Jon spoke up first though. “I should go to the house and get some clothes if I’m going to stay here this weekend,” he said. “I’ll see you both in a bit.”

They watched him leave. Her mom was looking at her closely with a smile on her face. Sansa was certain the next thing out of her mother’s mouth would probably be mortifying.

_God! Is it plastered all over our faces? First the captain and now Mom just seem to know exactly what we’ve been doing_.

But her mother only said, “You could help me with some laundry, Sansa.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Jon-**

Jon was surprised to find Lyanna sitting in the kitchen, apparently waiting for him, when he reached the house. She had been worried by Cat’s phone call the night before and wanted answers. She rattled off nearly a dozen questions and comments in under 20 seconds.

_Where had he been? He should’ve called her. Why did he spend the night at Winterfell and why didn’t he come home earlier this morning? What had happened? Didn’t he realize she was worried? What was going on with him and Ygritte? Him and Sansa? Why wasn’t he at school today? He shouldn’t skip school. Was he feeling alright?_

By the time she started pestering him about the last time he had eaten, he snapped.

“What the hell do you care?! When have you _ever_ cared where I am or what I’m doing or who I’m with? Since when have you worried about when I come home or _if_ I come home or if I even eat?”

He felt bad for just a moment when he saw her eyes well up with tears. He’d never raised his voice to her before and he wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he would get either. But years of her indifferent parenting left him feeling colder than he would’ve believed possible and her sudden maternal interest on top of the stress from everything last night just pissed him off. Deep down for years he had felt like an afterthought to her…he had _been_ an afterthought to her…and now she wanted to know everything.

Lyanna stood there for just a moment before she whispered, “I’m sorry.” She grabbed her keys and started towards the door. And that only made him angrier.

“Good! Go! Run away, Mum! It’s something you’re really good at it. Go back to Dorne or wherever. Come back when you want to play at being a parent again…or just don’t come back!” he shouted as she walked out the door.

He stood there fuming for several minutes, trying to control his breathing and refusing to let a single angry tear fall from his eyes. He kept standing there for several more minutes clenching his fists and refusing to feel bad for the things he had said.

_If I ever have children, I’ll do my best to be like Ned and Cat. I’ll never be like her_.

He would’ve laughed if the whole situation with his mother wasn’t so pathetic. By the time he’d stuffed his backpack full of clothes though, he was dealing with the familiar feelings of guilt he always seemed to have over his mother and he felt remorse for his harsh words.

**JON: 11:17AM** I’m sorry, Mum. I’m going to stay with the Starks for a few days. I love you.

Jon thought she might text back but after realizing he wasn’t going to get an immediate reply he left the house and drove back to Winterfell. He could hear Cat and Sansa upstairs chattering away about what clothes Cat needed and the weather in Highgarden this time of year. He didn’t want to interrupt their time together with his brooding so he slunk off to the kitchen without saying anything. He was sitting at the counter when he received a reply from Lyanna.

**LYANNA: 11:58AM** I’m sorry for how I am. I love you. You deserve better. I’m going away for a few days. Ned will take care of the bills and such. Please think about meeting your father. He really is a decent person despite our mistakes.

“You okay?”

Jon jumped. He hadn’t heard Sansa come downstairs.

_Those socks! She loves those things but she’s like a ninja when she’s walking around in them_.

He handed her his phone so she could read the message.

“I’m sorry.”

She wrapped her arms around him and he buried his face in her hair. The tightness he felt in his chest loosened some with just those two words and her arms around him.

_Home is with you, Sansa_.

 

Ned arrived home to do his own slap-dash packing and they convinced the grown-ups to head on out. They promised to pick the boys and Arya up from school. They exchanged hugs and Jon told Ned that Lyanna was leaving again for a while. Ned just nodded before giving Jon another hug. After the goodbyes were done, Jon and Sansa fixed sandwiches and sat on the couch watching a movie until it was time to go fetch the younger Starks.

That evening, Sansa was trying hard to be Cat once they all got home; admonishing Arya to do her homework now so it wouldn’t be lingering until Sunday night, trying to get Bran to go outside with Rickon for bit instead of trudging to his room to play video games.

_She’ll be a wonderful mother_ , he thought with a smile.

She was fixing spaghetti for dinner and had put Jon to work making a salad when he decided he needed to help her reach the pasta strainer. He pressed his body up against her backside and reached up over her for the strainer then put his hands around her wrists and slowly turned her into him. He was leaning in for a kiss when Robb came through the doorway.

“Jesus! I’ve had less than 24 hours to get used to this idea and this is the first thing I’ve got to see?!”

Sansa scoffed, “You could’ve walked in on worse, Robb.”

Robb’s ears started to turn red. Jon quickly backed away from Sansa. _No need to poke the bear_. Robb seemed a bit appeased by Jon’s retreat and sat at the kitchen counter while Jon went back to his task and Sansa put the strainer in the sink.

Sansa insisted everyone come sit at the table together for dinner and Robb had to go upstairs and turn off the video game system in Bran’s room to get him to comply. The other four sat at the table but could hear them all the way in the upstairs hall.

“You are not Dad! Why can’t I eat up in my room?” Bran was yelling.

“Sansa made dinner and she asked everyone to come to the table!”

“So? Sansa’s not Mom either!”

“Get your ass downstairs, Bran!” Robb roared out the last bit.

“This sounds like it’s shaping up to be a fun family dinner,” Arya commented with the sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

“I’d better go help Robb,” Jon said.

Once the petulant 12 year old went off to wash up and head downstairs, Robb stopped Jon before they headed downstairs. “I didn’t see Ygritte today at school but then I don’t have any classes with her but I did see someone in the parking lot before I left. Ramsey. I have no idea why he’d be there. He doesn’t have any younger siblings.”

“That’s a bit worrisome. Do you think he was looking for you?”

“He looked straight at me and smiled that nasty way he does but I think he was waiting for someone else. Jeyne’s car is in the shop so I had offered to drive her home. She was shaking when she saw him there.”

“I can’t blame her. So, you and Jeyne?” Jon asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I think maybe we’ve got things worked out. I invited her over tomorrow night to hang out. I figured I might be able to stomach you kissing my sister a bit more if I was busy with a girl of my own.”

“We didn’t plan for this to happen.”

“I know but I think it’s a good thing. It’s just going to take a little getting used to for me and probably the other three as well.”

 

The rest of Friday passed without incident. No vile texts came. The boys got Jon and Robb to play video games with them for a while, the heated exchange from earlier completely forgotten. Then, Arya and Sansa picked a movie for everyone to watch and made popcorn. Ned and Cat called to let them know they had arrived and check in on everyone. When it was time for bed, Jon kissed Sansa good night at her bedroom door but headed off to his room before his hormones got the best of him. Once he was in bed though, he texted her.

**JON 11:24PM** I love you.

**SANSA 11:24PM** I love you, too. I wish you were beside me.

**JON 11:25PM** Me, too. Get some sleep tonight, pretty girl.

 

The peaceful family harmony from last night was all gone the next morning though. By the time Jon got to the kitchen for breakfast, Sansa and Robb were screaming at each other. Robb’s ears were red and Sansa’s whole face was.

“I can’t believe you would do this, Robb! Have you lost your mind?! Mom and Dad are never going to trust us again!”

“Would you keep your shirt on?! It’s just a few friends. Jeyne asked about bringing Beth so I invited Grenn. I admit it spiraled a bit from there but a dozen friends coming over doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a party. Am I right, Jon?”

Jon thought he might like to slink back out of the room. Both of them were staring at him and both expected him to be on their side.

“Uh, I don’t know. Sansa might have a point, Robb. With everything going on this could be a terrible idea. I don’t want to let you parents down either.”

Sansa seemed to take his support and run with it. “Have you even given one thought to our little brothers?! What are they supposed to do while the house is full of teenagers?”

“Play their video games, I guess. I don’t know. When I told Jeyne Mom and Dad were gone, she wanted Beth to come over. What was I supposed to do?”

“Gee, I don’t know, Robb…maybe do something else besides invite her and 20 other people here! You could’ve taken her out on a date somewhere”

“You and Jon are going to be here!”

“Because Bran and Rickon have to have someone here with them!”

“I just wanted her to come over here, Sansa.”

“So, just because you’re horny we all have to suffer? We’ll be grounded until spring!” Sansa was shouting again and Robb’s ears were getting redder. She took a breath and said in a more normal tone, “If I can’t get you to call this off, I’m inviting my friends. I’ll invite Margaery.”

“Don’t you dare, Sansa! Jeyne will get so pissed!” A flash of red hair whirled past Jon as Sansa stormed out of the kitchen as he stood there feeling completely useless. “I don’t know what she’s so upset about. It’s just a few friends! Barely enough to call a party!” Robb shouted towards the ceiling. He ran his hand through his hair before he continued, “I need to call Theon.”

_Oh good. Because Theon always makes things better_ …


	11. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'm terrible at inventing song lyrics so please be kind.
> 
> Second, Ramsey makes an appearance. Consider yourself warned.

Sansa was still simmering with anger when Robb and Jon left with Theon for “party supplies.” Theon had come over and immediately pointed out all the things they were lacking. He suggested they lock up their parents’ liquor cabinet, too.

“You don’t want these high school kids drinking Ned’s good stuff and that’ll be a sure tip off to him anyway if his booze are all gone.”

_As if we’re really going to get away with this_ …

Sansa debated about calling her parents. She debated with herself a lot. _I don’t want to ruin their weekend away_. She even considered calling Captain Clegane but couldn’t even imagine what that conversation would be like.

_“Um, Captain Clegane? My brother, Robb, is throwing a party here this weekend and there will probably be underage drinking and such going on so could you come by and break it up around 9PM for me? Thanks.”_

Sansa had to laugh at the thought. She couldn’t do that. As pissed as she was at Robb, he was her brother and she loved him. _Maybe it won’t be too bad_.

 

She called Margaery and invited her and Loras to come and updated Margaery on all the developments of the past 48 hours. Margaery was shocked by the threats and the car thing but absolutely thrilled to hear about her and Jon’s Friday morning activities.

“God, I’m so jealous!!! While I was bored out of my mind in Civics, you were getting off with Jon. You are so lucky!”

_I actually had a sex story to tell…okay, not actually sex but still...And Margaery Tyrell is actually envious of me_.

Sansa giggled to herself and thought about the opportunities the party might open up for her and Jon that night. _Maybe I’m not so against this party after all_.

 

When the guys got back, Theon and Robb were busy chatting and putting things away in the kitchen but Jon was standing by the table looking a bit unsure of himself. Sansa came up and gave him a hug.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah…you still pissed about all this?”

“Not so much now,” she said with a grin.

Jon smiled back at her and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

“Oh, fuck me six ways on Sunday! I can’t believe my eyes. Damn, Snow! And here I thought you and Robb were just full of shit,” Theon shouted before he burst into laughter.

Jon looked ready to commit murder but Sansa could only laugh with Theon. Robb even snorted before he remembered he was supposed to be the disapproving-older brother.

Arya walked in while Theon was still laughing his ass off and said bluntly, “What the fuck, Theon? You sound like a braying mule.”

“ARYA!” Robb and Sansa shouted in unison.

Arya paid the scolding no mind and looked at Jon and Sansa who were still holding each other. “You two happy?” she asked.

“Yes, very happy,” Jon replied.

“Okay then. I can get used to it.” Without skipping a beat, she looked at Robb, “So, are you driving me over to Shireen’s or what?”

 

By 9:00PM Sansa thought her head was about to explode. The music was thumping throughout the downstairs. There were high school students everywhere. She’d lost count at 50. That prick, Joffrey, had shown up… _of all the nerve_. She’d had to keep chasing couples away from the bedrooms almost from the beginning. She almost shouted herself hoarse when she caught Grenn and Beth Cassel in her parents’ bedroom. After that, Jon had stationed himself at the top of the stairs and refused to let anyone go any further who didn’t live there. “If you want somewhere to fuck, go to your car,” Sansa heard him tell one couple.

 

Bran and Rickon had immediately latched onto the idea of blackmailing Robb and Sansa for the rest of their young lives.

“We’re not staying in our rooms all night and you can’t make us!” Bran had shouted.

He and Rickon had set up on the front lawn and started charging kids to park. _My little entrepreneurs_. She caught Bran with a beer in this hand at one point and took a picture with her phone.

“You put that down right now, Brandon Stark, or I’ll send this to Dad. I’ll gladly spend the rest of high school grounded before I let my 12 year old brother start drinking.”

Bran threw up his hands and surrendered the beverage at once. Rickon was just thrilled to be making money off the party.

“Forty dollars, I’ve made! Sansa, will you take me to Gamer’s Room tomorrow?”

 

All of Sansa’s hopes of being with Jon this night seemed dashed. Between the two of them, they were constantly trying to avert one disaster or another. They’d barely spoken a dozen words to each other all night. As Sansa was trying to clean up a puddle of vomit in the entrance hall, Margaery came over to try and help. _Mom would be so ashamed of seeing her house trashed like this…and Dad..._

“You don’t have to, Marg,” Sansa said, trying to ignore the tears welling up in her eyes.

“It’s okay, honey. I’m sorry this has gotten so out of hand. Loras and I can help you.”

Sansa looked up to thank her friend but Margaery was suddenly looking close to tears herself. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw what Margaery was watching…Robb heading upstairs with Jeyne Westerling. Jon stepped aside for Robb and was staring right at her with a smoldering look that made Sansa feel weak in the knees.

_That should be us! Oh, fuck this shit_ …

Sansa stood and gave Margaery a hug.

“You are a good friend, Margaery, and I love you but I’m never asking you to clean up vomit for me. I’m going upstairs with Jon for a bit. Could you just see that Bran and Rickon aren’t doing anything illegal? And that no one sets the house of fire?”

Margaery gave a nod and called Loras over to her. Sansa marched up the stairs to Jon and kissed him so hard they nearly toppled over.

“Sansa!” he gasped with surprise.

“To hell with this shit. To hell with this stupid party. I want you. I want to be with you. Let’s go to my room,” she shouted over the music. Jon smiled and followed her down the hall.

 

When they reached her door, he stopped for a moment and said, “Wait, Sansa. There’s something I want to get from my room.”

Sansa went in to sit on her bed and waited for him. Sansa’s eyes got wide when he came in a couple of minutes later with his guitar.

“I wrote this for you. It’s not nearly good enough for you but…”

He sat on the edge of her bed and started strumming the guitar. Sansa was already smiling and feeling that her heart just might burst with joy before he even started singing.

_“All I know,_

_From one year ago,_

_Is your blue eyes and the sunshine in your smile,_

_It makes me feel at peace,_

_And all I see,_

_Is you here with me,_

_You make every day better than the last,_

_And you are home to me…”_

When he had finished, Jon looked up at her uncertainly. “Okay, so not the greatest but I just…”

She tackled him before he could say another word. He quickly laid the guitar down and pulled her on top of him as she kissed him. And then she cried before kissing him some more.

“I love you,” she finally managed to say between kisses. “You are the sweetest, most beautiful man in all the world and I’m so lucky to have you.”

“I beg to differ. I’m the lucky one. I love you, Sansa.”

 

Their kisses soon heated up and the guitar was forgotten on the floor. Sansa could feel the heat rippling through her as Jon rolled them over to be on top. His lips were brushing her neck and Sansa squirmed beneath him. He sat up and looked at her.

“Sansa…I got something today but I don’t want to rush you. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want but I came prepared…just in case.”

He pulled a small square packet out of his pocket. Sansa looked at the packet for a moment before she realized what it was…what he was asking. Sansa stared at the packet wondering what it would be like and what she wanted and if this was something she wanted tonight.

“It’s too soon,” he said when she didn’t respond right away. There was no disappointment or resentment in his voice which only made it harder for her to say no.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Your eyes did. I’m sorry, Sansa. I shouldn’t have…”

“Jon, I want to...I want to with you, only with you… but tonight is just...”

“Not the night,” he finished with a smile. He laid the condom packet on the nightstand.  He laid down and pulled her into his arms. “I love you. We can wait. I’ll wait however long you say.”

Sansa sighed as she laid her head on his chest and felt his arms holding her. She listened to his heart beat and whispered, “I’m the lucky one.”

“No, that’s me,” he answered back.

“Jon? You said yesterday you knew what you wanted to do with me the next time we had the opportunity. Did you mean sex or something else?” she asked with a smirk.

His head tilted up from the mattress and he laughed. “Oh, you’re definitely going to find out now,” as he rolled them over once more.

They were giggling and kissing as they took each other’s shirts off. Jon fumbled at her bra but managed to get it off finally as he started kissing and licking her nipples making them pebble under his tongue. He pushed her black skirt up to her hips and gave her a wicked grin as he tugged off her panties. He started kissing a trail down from her throat, across her breasts and on down towards her navel. Sansa’s eyes flew open when he kissed her hip. He nudged her legs apart with his nose and started kissing the inside of her thighs and then kissing her mound and nuzzling at the curly hair there. Sansa was trying not to giggle but she was feeling ticklish until his lips brushed her slit.

“Spread your legs, pretty girl. I want to taste you.”

Sansa took a deep breath and spread her legs for him and propped up on her elbows and watched him lower his mouth to kiss her again _down_ _there_. _Oh my God!_ He licked her slit and Sansa let out a moan.

“Jon…”

He gave her a smile and dipped his head back down again. His tongue slowly licked her folds and, when he finally darted it inside, Sansa grasped his hair and shuddered.

“You like that?” he mumbled against her core.

She could only whimper in response. He brought his hand over to circle her clit as his tongue continued exploring her and he lapped up her juices. She felt her release building and her hips started bucking into his mouth, wanting to drive his tongue deeper inside of her. Her elbows could no longer hold her up as she collapsed back on the bed and shouted his name with her peak. Jon got up and gave his mouth and chin a swipe before he laid next to her and kissed her thoroughly. She could taste herself on his mouth.

“You liked doing that to me?” she finally asked when she could breathe normally again.

“Oh, yes. I think I will want to do that to you again and again.”

Sansa rolled onto her side and said, “You were very good at it. Have you…”

“No, Sansa. I’ve never done anything like that with anyone or the things we did yesterday either. You’ll be my first, too.”

“Sorry. It’s just that…you were…um…very talented, I thought.”

“Stop now, you’re making me blush. I’m a guy, Sansa. I’ve spent an indecent amount of time thinking up ways I want to pleasure you and fantasizing about you since I saw you at the Pep Rally before school started.”

“Hmmm, Margaery said she thought you’d like to see me out of my uniform.”

“Well, she’s a perceptive little minx. I like you in your uniform, too, but I like you best out of it.”

As he leaned in for another kiss, there was a loud crash and shouting downstairs.

Jon groaned, “Ah, for fuck’s sake. Wait here. I’ll go see what that was and come back, yeah?” he said with a grin.

 

Sansa looked down after he left and realized her skirt was still rucked up around her hips and slid it off. She headed into the bathroom to relieve herself and washed her hands and face. She smiled to herself in the mirror for a moment and then laid back on her bed thinking. She looked over to the condom packet still sitting on the night stand.

_Soon he’ll come back and I…I want him to make love to me. I love him and he loves me. There’s no reason to be afraid, no reason to fight this_.

As Sansa tried to reason out whether or not she was really ready for the next step though, her phone dinged and Sansa reached over to the nightstand to grab it. The number had no name but Sansa recognized it at once.

_No! Not now!_

It was an picture text and Sansa squinted at the image for a moment before she realized with horror that it was a picture of her, laying on her bed with only her skirt on, pushed up to her hips and Jon’s curly dark hair bowed between her legs.

_This can’t be_ … Her mind was reeling when another text came through.

**UNKNOWN: 10:27PM** That was fun to watch. My turn.

Sansa breath caught in her throat and her heart started pounding in her ears as she heard the connecting door to the bathroom from Arya’s room close and the lock turn. Ramsey Bolton walked into her bedroom and locked the door to her room as Sansa sat there paralyzed with fear for just a moment too long.

_This can’t be happening_.

Just as her mind was telling her to scream, he moved with incredible speed to clamp a hand over her mouth and roughly covered her with his body, pinning her to the bed. He shoved a cloth into her mouth. She could only admit a muffled scream as he reached into the bag he was carrying.

“Hello, Sannsaahh. That was quite the lovely show I caught. I’ve been in your sister’s room the past hour waiting for you. The song was a bit sappy and I swear you two are just disgustingly sweet but I’m so glad I got to watch that bastard tongue fuck you because I think I may have to do that as well now. You did seem to enjoy it so. I’ve got a very special friend who’s not very happy with you or him or any of the Starks at the moment. I’m not a fan of your brother or that bastard anyway but you…well, I have to admit I’ve been wanting this since we first met.”

He was holding silver duct tape in this hands and ripped off a strip to put over the gag in her mouth. He grasped both of her wrists in one hand and held them with ease even as she struggled with all her might. Sansa felt her lungs seizing up with terror and she felt light-headed. She was crying now, racking sobs that no one could hear.

_My nose is clogging up and I can’t breathe_ , she thought with panic.

Ramsey reached back into his bag and pulled out a knife. Sansa’s eyes got wide. Ramsey smiled at the fear in her eyes.

“Oh that? Not yet, sweetheart. That’s for later.” He dug into his bag once more and gave a satisfied little hum. “Here we go. These are zip cuffs, darling girl. We’re going to have a very good time…or, at least, I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry? I hope you are enjoying the story even if Ramsey is awful.


	12. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> Short chapter but the next will be longer.

Jon ran down the steps full of resentment over this whole stupid party. He could still smell and taste Sansa on his lips.

_I should be there with her instead of dealing with this crap_.

What he saw at the bottom of the steps did nothing to improve his mood. Joffrey Lannister was laid out on the floor in the entrance hall and the large bookcase there was turned over. The elegant vase that Ned had bought Catelyn when he traveled to Pentos last year was shattered across the floor. Loras Tyrell stood over Joffrey with his fists clenched and Grenn was holding Loras by his arms. Loras looked ready to murder Joffrey on the spot. Margaery was on the floor with her back against the staircase holding her cheek which was bright red and trying not to cry. Theon was shouting at Lannister to get the fuck out and never show his face there again.

“It’s time to end this,” Jon said to Theon in a barely contained snarl.

“You said it. Everyone, GET THE FUCK OUT!” Theon roared.

Then, he grabbed Joffrey, who was sobbing like a baby, by the scruff of his jacket and hauled him out the front door. Robb came hurrying down the steps with his pants on but nothing else. Jeyne was slinking a few paces behind him with her clothes all askew. Loras was kneeling in front of Margaery as Grenn turned off the music and told Beth and Jeyne it was time to leave. Jeyne followed them out without a backwards glance. Robb looked confused and hurt by her hasty departure but totally bewildered by the scene in front of him.

Jon knelt next to Margaery and Loras. “Are you hurt badly, Margaery?”

“No, he’s done worse,” she said with a sniff. “I can still help you and Sansa clean up this mess.”

Loras started to protest and Jon seconded him. “No, I think you should let your brother take you home. I’m sorry you got hurt. I’ll have Sansa call you tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded and Loras took her arm to help her towards the door.

“I’m sorry, Margaery. I shouldn’t have let him come in the house,” Robb said before they reached the door.

“That’s alright, Robb. Not many guys are as nice as your brother. What else would I expect?” she said with a sad expression and Loras shot Robb a glare and followed her out the door.

 

Other partygoers were quickly following them as a rumor was spreading that the cops were on the way.

Jon rounded on Robb, “What the fuck, Robb? This party has been a complete disaster. There’s damage done we can’t hide and I don’t even want to hide it. I hope you got what you wanted because we’re all going to be in serious shit when Ned and Cat get home!”

Robb started to reply when Theon ran back in looking shaken.

“Have you seen him? Bolton? His car’s down at the end of the driveway. There’s some girl in the driver’s seat but I didn’t see him. You don’t think he’s in-“

“Fuck! Jeyne’s outside,” Robb yelled as he sprinted towards the front door.

But Jon had a sick feeling in his stomach. “Sansa,” he whispered her name like a prayer and looked at Theon. _Please, Lord, no_. They raced up the stairs two at a time. Her door was locked and Jon started yelling for her. Theon raced around through Arya’s room.

“It’s locked here, too!” he shouted.

Theon was trying to pound one door down and Jon was frantically throwing his shoulder into the other. Then, Jon stepped back to kick the door right next to the handle. Two strong kicks was all it took and the door flew open.

 

She was on the bed, face down. Her hands were bound at the wrist with some sort of plastic and there was a belt twisted through her restraints and through the carved out heart in the headboard of her bed. He couldn’t see her face. It was turned the other way. Just her beautiful red hair covered her back and shoulders. The rest of her body was bare. He took all this in in a fraction of a secone before he saw Ramsey standing at the foot of the bed with his pants hanging loosely at his hips. He had a smile on his face and a knife in his hand.

“Look who came to join us, darling,” he rasped.

Without any thought at all, Jon darted down to grab his guitar off the floor and smashed it into Ramsey’s shoulder. He flew at him without a thought for the knife or anything but killing the man. His ungovernable fury and lightning speed caught Ramsey off guard and he dropped the knife. Jon leapt at him and once Ramsey was on his back, he straddled his chest, with every intention of beating him to death with his fists. He heard Theon rush in behind him and shout something. He was aware of Theon on the bed trying to free Sansa. Jon kept punching with a primal ferocity he’d never known was in him. He felt Ramsey’s nose break and was almost sure he’d broken his jaw. He heard a sob from Sansa and his split knuckles and screaming lungs caused him to pause for a moment. And in that one moment, Ramsey reached out and grasped his knife then plunged it into Jon’s abdomen. Jon grasped the knife and pulled it out not quite believing that any of this was real. Ramsey pushed Jon off of him with one powerful shove and ran out the bedroom door. Jon was laying on the floor. He tilted his head up and saw the blood pooling on his shirt as he lay there. He could hear Sansa sobbing and Theon trying to comfort her. When Theon noticed that Jon was hurt though, he cursed and rushed over to him. Theon was screaming at Sansa to call an ambulance, the police, anyone. Jon could still hear her sobbing and Theon shouting and crying for Jon to stay with him.

_Don’t cry, pretty girl_ , he wanted to say.

He could hear what sounded like sirens in the distance and there was a squeal of tires from outside and a loud thump. There were more screams from out there and what sounded like Robb screaming and cursing with rage and agony. None of it seemed to matter much to Jon at the moment though. It was dark in the room. Darker than when he’d entered it. He liked the darkness at the moment…it seemed quiet and peaceful. And then Jon knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deep breath now...  
> I promise that overall this is a happy love story and there will be plenty of sweetness, fluff, humor and sexy times ahead as well as some more drama and angst. The attack by Ramsey is traumatic but have faith in the strength of the Starks and Jon Snow.
> 
> Thanks for all the supportive comments. I spent nearly three weeks writing this story and I'm happy for the chance to share it.


	13. Sparks and Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robb's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go ahead and get this posted. Sorry for the cliffhangers with the last two chapters!

**11:00AM Saturday**

They were milling around the market; getting chips, ice and sodas for the party. Theon said he’d take care of getting some beer later. Robb strolled over to the pharmacy section and walked up to the ridiculously large display of condoms for sale.

 _Why are there so many to choose from? I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to pick_.

He could sense Jon’s presence behind him before he ever saw him.

“Just in case,” Robb said with a light chuckle as he picked out the most basic looking box he could spy.

“Alright then,” Jon said, “just in case.”

And, he reached around Robb and picked up a box of the same. Robb glared at him for a moment but then decided to give it a rest.

“The first time should be special. I don’t know if this party will be special enough for Jeyne. We’ll see…” Robb cleared his throat and continued, “I’d rather not think of you with Sansa like that but I can always hope she’ll say no.”

“She may say no and that’s okay if she does. I’m not pushing her, just being prepared. Won’t this be your first time, too, brother? Or have you been holding out on me?” Jon said with an infuriating leer.

“Yes, it will be for me, too. At least, I hope it happens.”

“Come on, you two. You’ll never lose you cherries standing in the family planning aisle all day,” Theon was cackling.

 

On the ride home, Jon filled them both in on the threats from Ygritte and what they’d learned from Captain Clegane. Theon asked Jon how he’d ever gotten himself mixed up with such a crazy bitch and Robb had to agree with Theon’s assessment. Jon didn’t really have an answer for that though and told them that there might be an extra patrol in the neighborhood that night and to keep their eyes open for anything that didn’t seem right.

“That’s fine but I can’t imagine she’s coming to our house,” Robb said.

 

**9:50PM Saturday**

“Jesus, Robb! What are you so surprised about? We broke up. I dated over the summer. I slept with someone else…actually a couple of guys,” Jeyne said it in such a matter-of-fact voice. “Anyway, I’m on the pill so you don’t have to wear that. I can’t stand that brand anyway. It smells weird.”

“We dated for eight months and never had sex. You said we should wait and I was totally fine with waiting for you and now you just seem like…I don’t know…this is a complete 180 from how you were before and…”

“Oh, Robb. Just come over here,” she pouted and crooked her finger at him as she sat on his bed.

 _I’m going to have sex for the first time. Does it matter if it’s not her first time, too? No, of course not_.

He was lying to himself. It did matter to him, at least with Jeyne. He’d thought their love was something special and that she was the one he was meant to be with but maybe he’d been a fool. But once she started kissing him and touching him, he forgot what he was thinking about. Afterwards, Robb was smiling and thinking maybe everything would be just fine. He didn’t want to think about any other guys she’d been with though. When the noises from downstairs got harder to ignore, he sat up and pulled on his pants.

“I’ve got to go deal with whatever is happening down there. Sansa’s probably never going to forgive me for abandoning her all night. Will you stay here?”

“No, I’m coming down with you. I need to head on home anyway if I can convince Grenn and Beth to leave. I’ve got to find my shirt first.”

 

Robb raced down the stairs when he saw all the damage and heard Theon yelling at everyone to get out. Jon and Loras were leaning over Margaery. She’d been hurt somehow. Jeyne stepped out the door with Grenn and Beth and never even said good-bye.

_Why do I feel more distant from her than ever?_

Margaery was making him feel guilty somehow and he was confused by that. And Jon started yelling at him and then Theon came in and said that Ramsey’s car was there…that Ramsey might be there at the house somewhere. Robb feared for Jeyne. He’d tried to attack her once before and Robb had helped her. He knew how Ramsey hated his guts.

He ran out the door shouting for Jeyne. Grenn was already pulling out of the driveway though and Jeyne was in the backseat. Several of the guests were milling around on the lawn, _acting like dumbasses_. Others were trying to negotiate getting their cars backed out of tight spaces. Rickon came up to Robb to ask if the party was really over. Bran was standing in the street giving guidance to someone trying to back out of a terrible parallel parking job when Robb saw someone running from the side of the house with blood covering most of his face. _Ramsey!_ He saw him bolt into the back seat of a car at the end of the driveway. Robb ran towards the car as adrenalin took over.

_Where has he been? Why is he bleeding like that?_

He recognized Ygritte behind the wheel. She looked up and noticed him barreling towards them. Her eyes were wide with terror as she threw the car in reverse. The tires squealed and she tore out of the driveway until there was a loud thump. _NO NO NO NO!!!_ She changed gears to drive and peeled out. People were screaming and there were sirens approaching. Someone was laying in the street… _Bran_. Robb ran to his brother and leaned over his body screaming and cursing and wishing he was lying there instead.

 

**Late Saturday/Early Sunday**

The clock in the waiting room was loud… _tick, tick, tick_ …went the second hand. The walls were white with a few posters hanging here and there. The linoleum tile floor was white. The seats were hard black plastic and uncomfortable. The lights were bright. _I hate this fucking room_. Robb was holding Rickon against him. He’d cried himself to sleep not long ago. Theon sat across from him fiddling with his fingernails, looking ready to climb the walls. _He’s never been good at waiting_. Jon and Bran were still in surgery. Sansa was in a room somewhere but no one would let them see her yet. A police officer was waiting at the other end of the small room waiting to talk to them when they were ready. _I’ll never be_ _ready to talk about this night. I want to die. This is all my fault_.

An hour later, a surgeon came in asking for their parents and Lyanna. “My parents are driving back from Highgarden. They should be here around 4 or 5 this morning, I guess. Jon’s mom said she’s on her way but I don’t know where she’s coming from,” Robb managed to say. “Please, we want to know how our brothers and sister are.”

The surgeon looked at the three of them. “I operated on Mr. Snow. You’re not really his relatives, are you?”

“We’re as good as,” Theon said heatedly.

The surgeon gave them the briefest of smiles before he finally relented as far as to tell them that Jon came through surgery well and was in stable condition and would be moving to recovery soon.

“What about Bran and my sister, Sansa?”

“I didn’t treat them,” was the only answer they got.

 

Captain Clegane arrived a little later. Robb had only seen him briefly on Thursday night at the house. _Jesus, that seems like months ago now_. Theon had taken Rickon down to the coffee shop and Robb was spending the time alone hating himself and imagining the worst for his sister and brother.

“I’ve talked to one of the nurses about your sister,” he said as he sat next to Robb. “She’s got a lot of bruises and marks from being bound and the struggle. They had thought she may have been orally raped. Do you understand what that means?”

“Yeah,” Robb answered as his eyes filled with tears.

“The nurse said Sansa’s denying that and telling them he never raped her. I’m hoping she’ll be up to talking with me soon. She’s very traumatized right now but your sister is a very strong girl. She’s going to be fine with time. I’m sure he had other plans beyond what he did but, thanks to Jon and your cousin, he didn’t get to act on them anyway.”

“I should’ve been there for her,” Robb was crying now. “This is my fault. My stupid party. My fight with Ramsey. He never would’ve hurt her but for me.”

“Hey now, did you invite him over? Huh? Did you plan for this to happen? He climbed a tree into your other sister’s bedroom and waited for her. He could’ve done that at any time. I don’t think it was just about hurting you, Robb. We didn’t get to interview Ygritte on Friday as we hoped. Ms. Wilde’s mother was not the most-friendly of interviewees but she finally told my men that Ygritte had taken off with her cousin Thursday night and hadn’t been home since. Turns out, Ramsey Bolton is her second cousin. The families are not close. Roose Bolton is a bit of a snob and doesn’t exactly acknowledge the Wildes but somehow Ramsey and Ygritte found each other through social media a couple of years ago and formed some sort of attachment. My computer guys have turned up quite a bit. Ramsey…the stuff he posts, the stuff he’s into…he’s sick but all the communication between Ygritte and him has been friendly, nothing sick or unusual. I think he’s been working on her for a while, gaining her trust. And, I’m pretty sure Ms. Wilde doesn’t realize what she’s gotten into with him or didn’t before tonight anyway. It appears they got your sister’s cell number online as well. Some idiot with the cheer squad had posted a contact list online for the cheerleaders to plan rides and such a while back it seems.”

Captain Clegane sat with Robb for the next hour; just talking, telling him things about being a cop, about him personally, about how strong victims can be…anything really to just try and console Robb and his battered conscience. Lyanna arrived and hugged Robb.

“They told me about Jon and the surgery. They said I’d be able to see him soon. How are Sansa and Bran?”

“I don’t know about Bran. They say Sansa will be okay but she’s resting and they won’t let me see her yet.”

He started to introduce Clegane to Lyanna but they already knew each other well apparently. “Sandor, I’m so grateful that you’re here,” Lyanna said and took his hand.

“I’m sorry to see you again under such circumstances, Lyanna.”

The other cop came over to Clegane then. “The guys have found some stuff at the house they want to talk to you about, Cap.”

They moved out of the room and before long a nurse came to take Lyanna to see Jon. Theon and Rickon returned and Robb told them what he knew but left out the stuff Rickon didn’t need to know.

 

Finally, a surgeon came to speak with Robb about Bran. He went into the hall with the surgeon not knowing what he’d hear and not wanting Rickon to hear it from a stranger who dealt with death and devastation so regularly that it was probably just another day to him.

“Your brother is in a medically induced coma. We had to remove his spleen. There was significant trauma to the abdomen and there’s swelling around the lower spinal cord. He could be paralyzed but we are hoping the swelling will go down and he’ll recover. He’s no longer in critical condition but still serious. We will have to wait and see. He is young and healthy so there is great hope for recovery.”

Robb stood in the hall wishing his mother or father was there to hold him so he could break down and cry like a boy. But he was the closest thing to a responsible adult there for the Starks at the moment and he just nodded and thanked the doctor.

Lyanna returned and reassured him that Jon was alright but sleeping at the moment. She offered to take Rickon home and to go get Arya in the morning and tell her what was happening.

 _Poor Arya. She doesn’t even know something is wrong…maybe that’s better that she can be happy for a few more hours_.

Clegane returned soon after and Robb asked if there was any new information.

“There is. There was a new picture text on your sister’s phone from the same number the threats came from. Uh, the picture is of her and Jon and not something you or your parents need to see but it may clear up questions. I’ve got a therapist I want to recommend to her as well…to all of you really. You, too, Robb. I think Sansa and Jon and you may need some counseling to work through this when you’re ready. His name is Tyrion Lannister. He’s really excellent. He helped me through my last divorce and some other bad times.”

“Lannister? Like related to Joffrey Lannister?”

“Maybe…I don’t know a Joffrey Lannister but Dr. Lannister is the best.”

The door to the waiting room opened and Robb saw the two people he had craved the most all through this terrible night walk through the door. Ned and Cat were pale and shaken and exhausted looking but Robb didn’t care. They were here and he never wanted to let them go again. He rushed to them like a young child that had temporarily been separated from his parents in a crowd and had had the worst fright of his life, thinking he was lost forever. They looked so strong together despite their worried faces. They were cornerstone of all their children’s lives. He sobbed out his heartache and guilt in their arms. They held their son and whispered reassurances to him as Captain Clegane quietly left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this clears up a few questions regarding Ygritte anyway.


	14. Unbroken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> Sansa is stronger than Jon ever knew.

The autumn sunshine was pouring through the window in his hospital room. He’d been moved out of recovery about an hour earlier and, despite the pain medication, had not been able to fall back asleep yet. Lyanna had come and sat with him for a while after surgery but he’d only been vaguely aware of her presence while he was still under the fog of anesthesia. He was coming back to himself when Ned and Cat had come to see him in recovery briefly before they moved him to this room. They told him Sansa was still at the hospital but she’d be discharged later that day. They said she hadn’t been raped and that she would come see him later. He didn’t want to think about her lying on her bed and bound ever again. It was too painful. They’d mentioned Bran had been injured and he latched on to that to steer the topic away from Sansa for the time being. But that was painful to bear as well. He had been filled with guilt and rage since they left him.

_If only I’d not left her. If only I’d told her to come downstairs with me. If only I’d never stopped hitting him, I could’ve killed him. I wish I’d killed him. Bran wouldn’t have been_ _injured if only I’d killed him first…if only…if only_ …

 

Just as the medication was starting to pull him back under, Theon and Robb came in the room. Theon was so relieved to see him alive and well, or well enough at least, but Robb looked absolutely terrible.

_I know that haunted, guilty look. If I looked in the mirror, I’d see it staring back at me_.

“Theon, can you give me and Robb a minute?” Theon nodded and clasped his hand and told him he’d be back later before he left.

“Have you seen Sansa?” he asked.

Robb nodded absently.

“This isn’t your fault,” Jon said.

“Yes, it is. It was all my stupid idea. I could’ve lost you both. And Bran…” Robb couldn’t even look at him.

“You’re wrong, Robb. You could’ve lost us but this isn’t your fault. I feel like it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left her room. I should’ve…”

“How could you know, Jon? How could you even have guessed?”

Jon sighed and rubbed his eyes for a moment. “I couldn’t really. How could you guess that Ramsey Bolton would attack Sansa last night because of a fight we had with him two years ago? I didn’t mean to hurt Ygritte but how could I know all of this would happen because I did? How were we to know that they even knew each other? You didn’t. I didn’t. Did you imagine Bran would be run down in the street by Ygritte last night? I certainly didn’t.”

“So, are you saying we need to stop blaming ourselves?” Robb asked, finally looking at him.

“Yeah, at least a little bit. It’s not doing us any good. It’s not going to do Bran or Sansa any good either. We should at least try not to keep hating ourselves.”

Robb reached forward to grasped Jon’s shoulder and leaned down to him. “Uh, wait. You’re not hugging me right now. I think I’d pass out from the pain. Catch me later, okay?” Jon said with small grin. And Robb let a small laugh escape despite himself.

 

Jon was sleeping and the medicine was keeping the pain to a dull ache. His mind was not resting though. It was full of images and nightmares. He imagined Bran lying broken in the street. He watched blood pour from his own stomach. But the one that haunted him the most was of Sansa, naked and bound face down on her bed in her girly pink and blue room with Ramsey Bolton standing over her. _I will kill him_.

Someone was touching him and he jolted awake which sent a shockwave of pain through him. He grimaced and suppressed a curse.

“Oh, Jon! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. You looked like you were having a bad dream.”

There she stood next to his bed, her blue eyes full of love and nothing but concern for him on her face. Her hair had been plaited into a simple braid and she was wearing fresh clothes from home. She was stroking his face and smiling at him. Jon couldn’t take it. Her sweet concern for him when she was the one who’d suffered because of him. Despite his words to Robb, he did blame himself. He turned his face away from her and felt his chest constrict as his eyes began to water.

“Sansa…I’m so-”

“No, not you, too,” she said decidedly. “I’ve already had Robb crying his eyes out all over me this morning. And if you’re going to cry, at least look at me. I deserve that much, don’t I?”

_She’s made of steel. She looks so delicate but looks are deceiving_.

“This wasn’t your fault or Robb’s either. It was Ramsey’s fault and Ygritte’s as well to some extent.”

“Sansa, I wish I could-“

“What? Make it all better? Change things so it never happened? It happened and no amount of wishing will change that. I would’ve suffered much worse if you’d not come when you did. He would’ve…” her voice started to break.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Jon quickly said.

“Yes, I do! I’m sorry if you don’t want to hear it but I need to talk about it. I’m going to tell you what he did to me and you’re going to listen. Not because I want to hurt you. God knows I do not want to hurt you but I need to talk about it if I’m going to get better,” her voice trailed off again. She looked pained and sighed. “But I won’t talk about it right now if you prefer. Not so soon after your surgery and while you are trying to rest.”

_She won’t force me to listen but how can I be this selfish not to let her tell me?_

“I’m sorry. I’ll listen to you. Tell me whatever you want me to know.”

As she told him all of the words that were desperate to get out of her head and out into the light of day, Jon knew that just listening to her was the best he thing he could do for her right now. It hurt to hear of her pain and fear and yet Jon felt almost relieved when she was done. It was better knowing than just imagining. Ramsey had bound her, gagged her and bruised her during the struggle. He’d threatened her and terrorized her. He’d had his hands on her but he hadn’t raped her like he planned. He and Theon had arrived before he got that far. But much more than that Jon realized that no matter what had happened, she was still Sansa. No one would take that away from her. So long as she was still breathing, no one could change that.

“I’m not broken,” she said, finally letting her own tears fall. “I’m still me and you’re still you and we’re not broken. I could’ve lost you…”

He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her then and pull her close but the IV in his arm and the monitors wouldn’t allow the sort of closeness he craved. He held her hand instead and told her that he loved her. He told her she was strong and beautiful and brave and that she wasn’t broken and he wasn’t either. Sansa managed to position herself next to him on the hospital bed. There was very little room and she couldn’t possibly be very comfortable especially being bruised and battered herself but feeling her warm body next to his made him feel stronger, too. They had their fingers laced together and talked about Bran. They touched each other’s faces and she told him what she’d learned from Captain Clegane and Robb. They talked until Ned and Cat came to take her home and let him rest.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” she whispered.

Jon watched them go and Ned turned off his light. He fell into a peaceful sleep.


	15. Therapy

**Sansa-**

 

She couldn’t face her room. It brought back memories of him coming through the bathroom door. It wasn’t the things Ramsey actually did to her that seemed to bother her as much as the terror of being helpless and not knowing what he was going to do next. She’d taken Captain Clegane’s advice and asked her mother to schedule her an appointment with Dr. Lannister the following week. In the meanwhile, she asked if she could sleep in Jon’s room while he was still in the hospital. Her mom offered to change the sheets but Sansa refused. She liked laying in his bed, being able to smell his scent. His broken guitar had been put back in his room by someone. Sansa wanted to get him a new one and hear him play it and sing again. His room was painted grey, his bedding was black and grey, the sheets were a soft grey… _my man likes his monochrome colors_. He had thick, black curtains to block out the morning sunlight when he wanted to sleep in. It suited Sansa perfectly for now with him and Bran still at the hospital. She rarely left the room except when she went to visit them at the hospital or at mealtimes.

 

Margaery came over after school on Tuesday. Sansa wanted her friend’s company but begged her to come lay in Jon’s bed next to her. If Margaery thought that was strange, she didn’t say anything. They laid in bed facing one another and shared everything as they always did. They cried together some but Sansa felt better after her cry. She told Margaery how she’d had to tell Captain Clegane that the condom on the nightstand was one that Jon had brought and then had to confirm that they’d had oral sex that night so the cops would know Ramsey had not raped her in that way.

“He saw the picture from my phone anyway…God, a bunch of cops probably saw the picture. But actually having to say the words to a man old enough to be my father… who is friends with my father actually…I’ve never been so mortified in my life!” Margaery laughed at Sansa’s mortification. “It’s not funny, Margaery!”

“I’m sorry…it’s just trying to picture you, sweet girl, trying to tell them…” She started laughing again.

“Margaery!”

But then Sansa started giggling as well. “Okay, it’s a little funny…or would be if it didn’t happen to me!”

“So how was it? I mean, did you…oh, come on! No one’s ever pleasured me that way and Jon is hot. I’m just jealous.”

“Shit, Margaery! You are terrible.” They started giggling uncontrollably at that.

 _How can such things be so funny? It’s like laughing at a funeral_.

Even if it was indecent though, it made Sansa feel lighter somehow. When Sansa asked Margaery about the bruise on her face, Margaery told her about Joffrey hitting her.

“He was trying to kiss me at the party and I shoved him away so he hit me. Loras flung him across the hall and he landed in the bookcase, knocking it over…I guess we still need to apologize to your parents about that...” and when Margaery started grinning they both started laughing all over again.

“What’s gotten into you, Sansa? Oh…hello, Margaery,” Robb was standing in the doorway. He looked uncomfortable for moment but then came in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “So, what’s so funny?”

“Um…just girl things, sweet brother.”

“I was just telling Sansa that Loras and I needed to apologize to your parents for knocking over the bookcase with Joffrey…” and Margaery’s eyes started to fill with tears of laughter again. “God, I don’t know why it’s so funny. I always need a laugh after I cry. Sansa’s story was much funnier.”

“Margaery! You can’t tell him that!” Sansa hissed and looked at Robb, who was looking curious if confused.

Margaery was still giggling but collected herself. “I won’t. I promise,” and she winked at Sansa. “I should go. I’ve got homework. When do you think you’ll come back to school?”

“Tomorrow,” Sansa said. Robb and Margaery both looked surprised. “What? I’m alright. I’m not going to do cheer this week but I can go to school.”

Robb offered to see Margaery out and Sansa laid back in bed laughing quietly to herself. _It is sweet to laugh again_.

 

School was weird and uncomfortable. People kept looking at her and whispering when she passed by. She’d worn long sleeves and a high collared shirt to keep the bruises hidden but it still felt like people could see them. Her friends were nice but, other than Margaery, she could see the questions in their eyes they wanted to ask but were afraid to. She couldn’t really blame them. Mr. Baelish was back to being extra attentive. He pulled her in for a hug when she arrived at his class. She could feel the eyes of the rest of the class on them but he didn’t seem to care.

“I’m so glad to have you back and looking so well,” he’d said in his silky, slimy voice.

She pulled back from his embrace and took her seat. _If he pulls that stunt again, I may just deck him even if I get expelled for hitting a teacher_.

 

Robb was grounded naturally enough although their parents were probably a lot less severe than they would’ve been if it had just been a party. He didn’t seem to mind being grounded at all. But he was often depressed and anxious and their mother made him an appointment with Dr. Lannister as well. When Sansa tried to ask him about Jeyne, he said he wasn’t sure where they were right now and he’d walk away. She’d catch him watching her a lot when they sat in the living room or at the table together. She’d tried a dozen times to tell him she didn’t blame him for any of it but he’d only shake his head at her and say he was sorry. The only place he wanted to be when he wasn’t home was at the hospital with Bran or Jon.

 

Jon was released from the hospital that Friday. Bran was still there but he had regained consciousness a couple of days ago and was improving. The swelling around his spine was going down and Bran had started regaining some feeling in his legs. Her parents said that Bran would probably be moved to a rehabilitation center in another week. Jon had texted Sansa that he was home when she was in her last class of the day and that he was going to stay at Winterfell for a while. Robb was frustrated to be stuck at school for the game while Sansa raced home in his car.

Jon was sitting on his bed when she got home. He was wearing a sweatshirt and athletic pants. His hair was an unruly mess of curls, just how Sansa liked it. It would be hard to guess he’d been stabbed less than a week ago to just look at him except that his eyes looked tired and his face was a bit paler than usual. He was looking at his broken guitar when he glanced up and noticed her in the doorway.

“Looks like someone’s been sleeping in my bed, Little Red Riding Hood,” he said with a grin.

“You’re mixing up your fairy tales. That’s ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’,” Sansa smirked and put her hands on her hips.

“Well, you can’t be Goldilocks so I like my version better.”  She grinned widely then and raced over to hug him but he shrunk back and raised his hands defensively. “Easy now! I’m still healing here.”

“Sorry,” she said with an embarrassed grin.

She sat down next to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. He pulled her up closer with one hand around her waist while the other fisted through her hair.

“I’ve missed you so much, Sansa. I’ve missed being with you and just being here.”

They were still kissing when Arya walked in on them. “Uh, gross! Dinner is ready if you’re both finished working up an appetite. And Mom wants to know if you’re going to Robb’s game, Sansa.”

“Not tonight, Arya. I’m going to stay home with Jon tonight,” she answered.

 

Her dad had been hesitant to leave them alone. He had been dealing with the past week in his own way, looking stony and fierce at times and then pale and stricken at others, but always silent about what he was feeling and just trying to support his wife and children. Her mother on the other hand had thrown all of her nervous energy into her children’s care. She’d spent more time at the hospital than any of them and yet she was there every night to make dinner and made sure Rickon and Arya weren’t being ignored. Sansa and her mother had understood each other’s moods well all week. Her mother fretted over Robb’s emotional state though. So, it was her mother that insisted that both of them would go support Robb tonight at the game and let Sansa stay with Jon.

 

Her mother had told her that Lyanna had been hurt by Jon’s wish to come home to Winterfell but she’d not said anything to him. She’d been at the hospital with him as much as possible the past week but she accepted that he wanted to be with the Starks.  She came by the house as Sansa’s parents were leaving to take Arya and Rickon to visit Bran for an hour or so. She spent a few minutes with Jon before they left but didn’t press him for anything.

 

Once they were alone, Sansa propped Jon up in the living room with pillows and the TV remote. She told him to pick whatever he wanted to watch as long as zombies weren’t involved. He was calling her Nurse Sansa in a teasing manner as she fluffed the pillows and asked him if he wanted a blanket. While she was busy fixing them some popcorn, Captain Clegane called to check on her and Jon.

“I’m doing alright, really. He is still a bit sore and healing but doing much better. He’s glad to be out of the hospital.”

Clegane said every police station in the North and much of Westeros was looking for Ramsey and Ygritte but they’d not turned up yet.

 

Jon had started watching “The Big Bang Theory” reruns while she was in the kitchen and when she joined him again they sat and watched the sitcom together, glad to just watch something light and amusing. It was nice just being together. Sansa found her thoughts turning in a more carnal direction as he held her on the couch and was surprised that she would actually be feeling that way after everything.

 _Is there something wrong with me? I want him. Shouldn’t what happened with Ramsey leave me feeling uninterested? A good question for Dr. Lannister_.

Sansa didn’t act on any of her thoughts though. He was healing and she supposed she was, too.

“I love you,” she said instead.

“I love you, too. Sansa, I’m so glad to be alive and home again.”

“Me, too. There’s no place I’d rather be right now than here next to you.”

 

When her parents came home that night, they found them laying on the couch together with the evening news playing on the TV. Jon was actually asleep but Sansa only pretended to be. Jon was laying down with his back against the back of the couch and Sansa was curled up against him.

“Should we wake them, Ned?”

“No, they are content there together. Let them sleep. I’ll come get them to move later,” he said as he touched his daughter’s face. Her dad turned off the TV and the lights and her parents headed up the stairs.

 _Thank you, Dad. Let us sleep here. I don’t want to leave his arms right now_.

 

**Jon-**

 

Three weeks had passed since he’d been released from the hospital. He’d returned to school the second week and was feeling pretty well healed physically. Principal Mormont had him come to the office upon his return. He’d been very kind to him and made sure he was not overwhelmed by all the course work he had missed.

“Don’t worry, Snow. We’ll make sure you’re still on track for graduation. By the end of January, it’ll be like you never missed a day.”

Jon was thankful for that. He didn’t want the added pressure of failing at school to go along with everything else he was feeling. The football season was almost over. Homecoming and the last game were to be the following Friday. Jon knew Robb was very grateful. His heart just hadn’t been in it since what happened and the Wolves had lost the last three games, knocking out any chances of a title. _Not that it matters to him much anymore_.

 

Sansa couldn’t continue sleeping in his room obviously once he’d returned and she had asked Ned if she could redecorate her room and change it around. It became a family project for everyone at home. Robb and Jon painted her walls a mossy green. Cat changed the window dressings and took Sansa shopping for new furniture. She didn’t want to sleep in the same bed anymore so she slept with Arya until the new furniture arrived. Ned, Robb and Jon moved the pieces around from one place to another until Sansa found the lay out she liked best. Sansa and Arya decided to update their bathroom with a new shower curtain and rugs and a fresh coat of paint as well. Rickon even went with Sansa to pick out new bedding but only on the condition that she’d take him to Gamer’s Room after they were done. She chose a cream colored comforter and green and brown throw pillows. She’d always had a good eye for fashion and apparently did for decorating, too.

 

The night the room was finally finished, Jon and Sansa had gotten a bit carried away making out on her new bed when Ned walked in on them. They were still dressed of course but Jon had rolled on top of her and was kissing her neck and had started unbuttoning her blouse. They hadn’t closed the door all the way. Sansa froze and gave him a shove. He sat up panting and half hard and turned red in the face to see Ned standing there. Ned didn’t yell. He never yelled. He wasn’t the kind of man to raise his voice very often. But Jon could tell he was far from pleased.

“I’d prefer for you to go on to your own room now, Jon,” he said in the same tone he might have asked Jon to fetch the paper.

Jon muttered an apology and left the room with what little dignity he could manage at that moment. He was living under his roof and didn’t want Ned to feel like he was disrespecting him. He decided that as long as he was going to stay at Winterfell, he’d have to master his desires a bit better. God knew he had enough school work to keep him busy at least.

 

Bran had been moved to a rehabilitation center a week earlier to finish healing and work on getting his coordination and strength back but he was expected home next week. The family couldn’t wait to have him back. Jon had spent yesterday afternoon with Bran after he left school. Bran was a fighter, like his sister…like all the Starks really. He worked hard at therapy and didn’t let anyone tell him he couldn’t or shouldn’t do something. If he couldn’t do it, he’d just grit his teeth and try again. Bran had made a friend at the center. A boy his age that _was_ paralyzed. Bran was grateful that he was not but he admired his friend’s strength and fearlessness and that helped Bran stay focused on his own healing. He told Jon that he wanted to play soccer in the spring or maybe try to run track if the doctors would clear him.

“I’ve spent enough time in my room playing video games. I could’ve been paralyzed but I was lucky or blessed or whatever. I want to be out doing things besides just spending my life inside siting around all the time.”

Jon had kissed his forehead and told him he’d come to every match and every track meet he could to watch him.

 

It was Friday afternoon and a month had passed since the party. Jon was sitting with Sansa and Robb in Dr. Lannister’s waiting room quietly waiting for their first group session. Dr. Lannister had met with Sansa first two weeks earlier. Robb had started going shortly after. Finally, Cat had had enough of Jon’s reluctance and made him an appointment and drove him there herself.

“You need this. You all need this. Sansa says he’s wonderful and I want my children healed inside and out.”

He couldn’t argue with Cat. She loved him and was only trying to help. And it always touched him to hear Cat call him one of her children.

 

He’d met with Dr. Lannister for the first time on Monday. He was an interesting man to say the least. In his 40s and a dwarf, he had a large head compared to the rest of him, green eyes, a beard, a very soothing voice and was very quick witted. Or at least, Sansa said he was quick witted. She said he was always making her laugh. Jon had ended up sobbing like baby after one session with Dr. Lannister, going through the tissue box like there was no end to the tears.

 _I really don’t know that I’m up for this again, especially if Robb and Sansa are going to be in the room_.

He’d prompted Jon to talk about Ramsey and the attack and his feelings of guilt over Sansa and the rage he was still harboring. Then, he’d started asking about his and Sansa’s relationship and the extent of their sexual experience. That was uncomfortable. But when he started questioning Jon about his mother and their relationship and his father and his relationships with Ned and Cat and all the Starks, Jon broke down and couldn’t stop crying.

 _Is this what he wants? To make me cry like a little girl while he sits there impassively taking notes?_ He looked over at Robb. _Does he make you cry, brother?_

Robb had had two therapy sessions already but they hadn’t really had a chance to talk about it. He felt like a total wreck when he got home Monday night and told Sansa all about it. She’d been supportive and loving… _of course_. It made him feel like a stupid little boy when she could be so strong and he was struggling to control his emotions.

 

The door opened and Loras and Margaery Tyrell walked out of his office. Jon and Robb both looked up with surprise but Sansa only smiled at her friends and looked back down at her magazine. Loras looked teary and Margaery was clearly supporting her brother.

 _At least, I’m not the only guy he makes cry_ …

Loras ducked into the restroom and Robb got up and walked over to Margaery.

“What are you doing here?” he asked rather bluntly. _Smooth, Robb_.

Margaery looked like she might not answer his impertinent question for a moment but then sighed and said, “Loras has been seeing Dr. Lannister for several months. It’s not easy being an openly gay teenage boy, Robb. Sometimes he asks me to come with him.”

Robb cleared his throat and had the decency to look abashed. “Sorry, Margaery. That was rude of me.”

“It’s alright. Are you here for Sansa and Jon or are you seeing him as well?”

“I’m seeing him, too. We’re having a group session today.”

“Oh, those can be rather painful but healing as well,” she said with a smile and grasped Robb’s hand. “I’ll see you later, Sansa, Jon.” She let go of Robb’s hand and headed out the door as Dr. Lannister called them in.

 

They’d been sitting in his office in silence for nearly five minutes. Robb and Sansa were on the couch facing Dr. Lannister’s chair and Jon was in the other chair to their left.

“So, who wants to begin today?” Dr. Lannister asked.

They all sat there looking at each other. Sansa looked like she wanted to say something just to avoid the silence any longer but was coming up empty.

“Alright then...this is your first attempt at group therapy, I know, so let’s try something a bit different. Robb, go over to the fridge there and grab some sodas for you, your sister and Jon. This is much more fun with alcohol but you’re all underage and it’s a bit early for me to get good and drunk.” Robb set down three Dr. Peppers and took his seat again. “First of all, please call me Tyrion, at least today. If you feel you must call me Dr. Lannister at your next individual session, go for it, but today I want us to be on a first name basis, all right?” The three of them nodded. “Good,” Tyrion said with a grin, “Now, someone tell me a joke.”

The hour passed quickly and they were all in tears from laughing so much. Tyrion Lannister was funny, hilarious actually. The three of them were a little shy of telling jokes at first but Tyrion had a never ending supply it seemed to get them started and comfortable. His funniest jokes usually involved his own family. He was Joffrey’s uncle as it turned out, who he called a “viscous little cunt”, and he told some truly horrid tales of Joffrey’s mother, Cersei, but somehow they were funny when he told them. They continued to talk and tell stories about their family and friends and just anything that made them laugh. As the hour was ending, he had started telling a final joke.

“A man walks into a brothel with a honey comb and a jackass. The Madam looks at him and says…but, uh maybe that joke is not the best one for present company,” he said as he glanced at a red-faced Sansa. “Sansa, my dear, could you give me a moment with Robb and Jon?”

Sansa left for the waiting room and he turned to face them. Robb was still trying to control his laughter.

“Today was enjoyable, yes?” They agreed. “Therapy isn’t really about making you cry or feel bad or making you remember things you’d rather forget. It’s about healing. I think the three of you will be just fine but I want you to continue to come see me for a while longer. Robb, we still have much work ahead of us. Jon, the same goes for you. Sansa is strong but she needs you both and you both need her and each other. I usually try to make her laugh because young ladies tend to cry often enough as it is and need to laugh more. I make you both cry because young men often think they can’t cry, that it shows weakness, when it really shows strength to accept how shitty life can be at times. So, now it’s time for me to have a stiff drink. Have a good weekend and I’ll see you both next week.”

“He made you cry?” Robb asked after they’d arrived at home and Sansa had went upstairs. They were sitting in the living room and no one else was around.

“Yeah. You too?”

“Like a baby. The surprising part was I cried mostly about Jeyne.”

“Why? Did you end up having sex with her that night? Uh, sorry…that was nosy.”

“It’s alright. Yeah, we had sex that night. It wasn’t anything like I thought though. Well, the sex part was but the feelings were not at all like I expected. It wasn’t her first time. She was very upfront about that but I’m not…I just don’t know if what I thought we had before was really real, you know? I don’t know. We’ve barely spoken since what happened. She said she thought I needed space but I really think she’d prefer to pretend nothing happened between us that night. It’s left me confused. On top of my guilt over everything that happened and the way things have been with her, I’ve been in a bad place. He’s helping though.”

“I’m sorry about things with Jeyne. Mostly, I cried about my mum and our fucked up relationship. It’s weird…after what happened, I’ve been thinking that maybe I do want to meet my father but I need to catch up on all this work for school and I don’t want to leave Sansa. I may try and see if my mum could work it out for us to see him at spring break or sometime after graduation. I don’t know…we’ll see.”

“I think that’s good, Jon. You don’t have to go live with him, just meet the man. But I’d wait till the timing is right for you.”

Sansa came back downstairs and was looking at them both sitting on the couch together and grinning.

“What?” Robb asked.

“Nothing. Actually, I was just wondering if you two were trying to copy Tyrion.”

“Okay, you lost us there,” Jon said.

“Neither one of you have shaved in a month. Not that I’m complaining. You both look quite handsome with beards but just wondering why.”

Jon and Robb stroked their facial hair at the same time and looked at each other. “Winter is coming,” Jon said with a smile. “A good time to grow a beard.”

“Yes,” Robb was laughing, “winter is coming.”

Sansa came over and sat on Jon’s lap and stroked his beard. “Very well then. I’ll be happy to have someone to keep me warm,” she purred. Jon smiled widely at that but refused to look over at Robb as he huffed loudly. But Sansa snickered and said, “Don’t worry, Robb. Margaery likes your beards as well.”


	16. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter with a happy homecoming at Winterfell, some impetuous decisions, Jon and Sansa's first time and Jon and Lyanna continue to struggle with their relationship.

**Sansa-**

 

It was Monday afternoon and Sansa was heading to her final cheer practice for the football season. Basketball would be starting soon but she would have two weeks off before that began. She really wanted to head home instead because her mom and dad were bringing Bran home today. She was passing Ms. Tarth’s classroom when someone grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into the empty, darkened classroom.

“You got a date for homecoming, pretty girl?”

“Jon! You scared me to death,” she gasped as she playfully shoved him away.

“Sorry. So, you got a date or not?”

“I don’t know. There’s this boy I really like but I’m not sure how he feels about me. We’ve never had an actual planned date really,” she said with a grin.

“Well, he’s obviously an idiot if he’s not asking you out every single night. I’m sure he wants to take you to homecoming though,” Jon said as he started kissing her along her jawline and worked his way behind her ear.

“Maybe he’s just having a good time with me,” Sansa replied trying not to let a moan escape her lips.

Jon stopped kissing and looked at her. “I love you, Sansa. You’re not just a good time to me. I hope you know that by now.”

“I do. I was just teasing.”

“So, would you like to go to homecoming with me? I’ll even wear a tie if you insist.”

“I’d never insist on a tie. As for Homecoming, kiss me some more and I’ll think about it.”

 

“You’re late,” Margaery said in a sing-song voice, “and I’ll bet I know why.” Sansa blushed and rushed over to join the rest of the squad for practice.

“Why’s Mr. Baelish here?” Sansa asked Loras when she noticed him leaning against the wall and watching them.

“Mrs. Redwyne’s sick. We’ve got to have someone from faculty here while we practice. He volunteered.”

When practice was over, Sansa rushed to get her things and get out of the gym before he could corner her. _Ugh, he makes my skin crawl_. Jon was waiting in his car, reading some assigned chapters, when she got to the parking lot.

“You alright?” he asked.

“Yup, just really ready to see Bran.” Jon smiled and started the car to drive them home.

 

The house was noisy and full of happy commotion when they arrived. Bran was happy to be home and the whole family was thrilled to have him back but after dinner, he tired quickly and their mom was immediately shushing everyone into silence even though it was only 8 o’clock while their father helped Bran upstairs to his room. Sansa was working on her math homework when Robb peaked his head in the door.

“Psst…come downstairs, Sans.”

“I’m busy, Robb.”

“This is important and it won’t take too long. Come on…kitchen in five.” Sansa put away her math and headed down the stairs just as Arya was coming out of her room.

“What’s our brother up to?” Arya asked.

“No idea.” When they got to the kitchen, Jon and Robb were already there.

“Alright,” Robb began, “I want to do something for Bran but I want some help. Bran’s not going to be able to go back to his school for a couple of more weeks still and he’s going to be lonely here during the day with just Mom and schoolwork for company. I heard Mom and Dad talking about getting him a dog the other day. He’s always wanted one anyway so I was thinking the four of us could go tomorrow and get him one, as a surprise.”

“Mom and Dad probably want a say in the kind of dog he’d get, Robb,” Sansa said at once. “And you just got finished being grounded. Do you want to get into more trouble already?” She could see the disappointed look on Robb’s face though and felt something tugging at her heart. _I’ve always wanted a dog_.

Arya was immediately dismissing Sansa’s reservations. “Oh, they’d get over it. It’s for Bran. And I want a dog, too.” Robb smiled at Arya and then looked over to Sansa.

“Alright,” she relented. “I want a dog for our family. What kind of dog?”

“I’m still thinking on that. You’re awfully quiet, Jon. What do you think?”

“This isn’t really my house, Robb. I don’t really think I have a say in this. But, we’re going to college next year. I don’t want your parents thinking we’ve stuck them with another chore to deal with.”

“Well, _we’re_ not going anywhere yet,” Arya chimed in.

Sansa smiled at her sister and said, “She’s right. Tomorrow after school. Let’s go find our dog for Bran.”

 

Sansa rode home with Jon the next day but as soon as they got there, they headed back out the door with Arya and Robb.

“Where are you going?” Bran called from the living room. “You just got home and you’re leaving already?”

Sansa went over and kissed his cheek. “We’ll be back soon. We may have a surprise for you. Don’t tell.”

Robb drove them to Wintertown’s animal shelter and they went in looking for a dog for Bran. There were so many. It was loud in the enclosed space with all the barking and Sansa couldn’t begin to choose one over the other.

_This is terrible. They're all so sweet and I can’t choose. I’m going to end up sobbing_.

There was a door at the end of the hall that said ‘New arrivals’ and Sansa passed through just to escape the noise and the feeling that her nerves were being pulled across sandpaper. It was much quieter in the room. Just a few whimpers and yips coming from a cage in the corner of the room. It was filled with six, small Siberian Huskies. One of the shelter workers saw Sansa and gestured to the puppies.

“They just came in last night. Their mother was hit by a car unfortunately and the owner didn’t want the pups anyway. They’re about 8 weeks old so up for adoption if you want one.”

Sansa called the others to the little room. “Well?” she said with a smile as the others gathered near the cage with her.

“Huskies are big dogs when they’re grown, Sansa,” Robb said. Of course, he had already scooped a grey one up and was holding it to his chest, stroking its ears.

“This was your idea,” she replied as she scooped up a brownish-grey female with golden eyes. Arya had picked up another grey one, another female, and was giggling as it licked her nose.

“What do you think, Jon? Would one of these work for Bran?” Robb asked.

Jon didn’t respond at first. He was already holding a solid white one, looking for all the world like a boy of six with a huge grin on his face. He cleared his throat when he realized they were all smiling at him.

“How could we possibly split up this pack?” he asked.

 

“Have you all lost your minds?!? I can’t believe you’d go and do this, Robb Stark! Actually, I can…but to bring home six…SIX DOGS! What am I to do with six dogs all day, Robb? Are you taking that one to college with you? Do you have any idea how much work dogs can be, especially large dogs, especially SIX?!?”

Cat had been shouting at them for a good 15 minutes, mostly at Robb but Sansa, Arya and even Jon had had their ears blistered as well. Bran and Rickon were already in love. Bran had chosen the honey colored pup with golden eyes like Lady. Sansa had named her favorite Lady on the way home. _She’s smaller than the others and so dainty acting. The perfect name for my dog…my dog…I’m no better than Rickon_. Rickon had chosen the charcoal-grey male and was rolling on the floor with the pup giggling wildly, totally ignoring his furious mother.

“How’d you even manage to adopt them? You’re 17. They shouldn’t be letting 17 year-olds adopt dogs!”

Sansa suddenly realized her mom might make them return the dogs or that maybe the shelter would be in trouble for letting them take them in the first place when her father walked in the door with a grin. Robb had called him from the shelter and confessed all at once. He knew their dad loved dogs, too, and was hoping to get him on their side.

“Ned! Do you have any idea what your son…what your children have done?!?”

Dad was busy looking over the pups and smiling. “Yes, Cat, I know exactly what our children have done. Come on, my love. Let’s go and talk about this together for a moment.”

“Dad, please,” Bran was pleading. “I want to keep him. I want to keep them all.”

“Let me talk to your mother,” he said with a theatrical whisper.

It was a very anxious half-hour for everyone except Rickon who seemed already assured that the dogs would be staying. They could hear their mother’s voice getting loud at times through the wall to the study. They couldn’t hear their father’s voice though. He’d never raise his voice regardless of what he was thinking. Finally, they heard what sounded like soft laughter. Cat left the study with a smile on her face and headed to the kitchen without a word or a look. Ned came back in to the living room and smiled at their anxious faces.

“She’s agreed…but you must train them, feed them, walk them, and care for them yourselves as much as possible. I won’t have you dumping this responsibility on your mother any more than absolutely necessary. Jon, you must get Lyanna’s permission if you want the pup at her house but he is always welcome here provided you will take care of him as much as possible.”

Sansa hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until her father stopped speaking. A collective breath was expelled as they all broke into grins and hugged their dogs.

 

By Friday the weather had turned bitterly cold with a hint of flurries in the air. The cheer squad had been wearing their sweaters for weeks now but it still wasn’t going to help the girls feel any warmer with their short skirts on. Sansa had brought a change of clothes for the dance and had done a little shopping with Margaery on Thursday to prepare for the dance and her date with Jon. He’d asked to be excused from dinner early that evening and had shown up in the kitchen just as Sansa was telling everyone and the dogs goodbye before they left. He was wearing dark brown dress pants and a dark green V-neck sweater over a white button-down shirt and he had a boxed corsage in his hand.

“For the dance,” he said sweetly as he handed it to her and her parents watched with big smiles on their faces. Sansa flushed with pleasure.

“Home by 11:00 you two,” her mom called as they headed out the door.

Robb had gone to dinner with the team and Jon had mentioned on the drive that he was going to the dance with Jeyne.

“What?! I thought he was going alone. You said you thought they weren’t really a thing,” Sansa said in a huff thinking of Margaery.

“Well, he said she called him Wednesday and asked him. He said yes.”

“Oh, so she didn’t have a date and decided she’d call him then. Figures. He’s probably going to be named Homecoming King. No doubt she wouldn’t want to miss out on the reflected glory.”

“Sansa, we don’t belong in the middle of their relationship. I think Robb can figure this out himself. No one’s twisting his arm.”

“I know. I just thought he might like to dance with someone else there.”

“Like Margaery?”

“Maybe,” she replied with another huff.

“Alright, Emma Woodhouse,” Jon laughed and kissed her softly.

“I’m not Emma Woodhouse! I do love Jane Austen though but…”

“Sure thing, my sexy cheerleader. Better get headed. I don’t want to miss seeing you in action tonight.”

“You look wonderful by the way. I should’ve been saying that instead of complaining about my brother’s taste in women,” Sansa said and gave him a kiss before she left to meet the squad.

 

Sansa could feel Jon’s eyes on her throughout the game. It kept her going despite the freezing temperatures. At halftime, Robb was named Homecoming King and, while he posed with Mya Stone for a yearbook picture, Jeyne was simpering on the sidelines with her friends as though she’d been named Miss Westeros or something.

“Sorry, Marg,” Sansa said to her friend.

“It’s alright, Sansa. Will you let Jon dance with me once? I kind of hate the thoughts of going to the dance without a date but I kind of hate to miss it all together, too.”

Sansa laughed, “If you can get him to dance, I won’t mind one bit.”

The Wolves won their final game and Sansa was starting to get feeling back in her feet when she found Jon in the school’s atrium.

“You look amazing,” he said as he took in her new navy blue dress and high heels.

“Thanks.” He tied the corsage her wrist and they headed into the dance hand in hand.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

“Not really. I think I’d rather be selfish and be alone with you but I need you to do me a favor and dance with Margaery. She doesn’t have a date and I feel kind of bad because I told her Robb was coming alone, too.”

Jon kissed her nose and said, “My little matchmaker.”

Jon danced with Sansa, then Margaery, then Sansa again before begging off to find them all some sodas.

“So, have you told lover boy what you’re hoping for tonight yet?” Margaery asked.

“No! Keep your voice down. It’s a surprise.”

“I figured not or he’d have drug you out of here ages ago.”

Joffrey Lannister was slinking over to their table just then but quickly spun on his heel when he saw Jon approaching them. “That jerkoff bothering you, ladies?”

“No, not yet. Thanks, Jon,” Margaery smiled.

Robb came over and sat with Sansa while Jon danced with Margaery once again. “Two lovely ladies? How’d Jon get so lucky?” he asked.

“He’s just being a sweet, dear man. Marg didn’t have a date.”

“Oh?” Robb asked and glanced over to the table where Jeyne sat chatting with her friends wearing his crown.

“Yes, no date. It’s too bad really. She’s such a pretty girl and so fun to be around. She’d never ignore her guy all night gossiping with her friends either.”

“Sansa…”

“I’m just saying…”

“All hail, King Robb. Long may he reign,” Jon announced with a smirk as he and Margaery returned to the table.

“Shut up, asshole. I didn’t want the stupid crown.”

Jon was still laughing at his own jest when Margaery said, “Good game, Robb. You played really well.”

“Um, thanks, Margaery. Uh, would you…would you want to dance with me?”

“I’d love to,” she said with a smile.

Sansa was grinning all over herself as they headed to the dance floor and she saw Jeyne looking absolutely furious with the silly, tin crown on her head. She leaned over and kissed Jon. “It’s nearly 10:00 and I’ve got plans for us,” she said and took his hand to head down a deserted corridor.

Two minutes later, he had her pressed up against the wall and their mouths were hot on each other, kissing wherever they could find exposed skin.

Jon stopped to catch his breath, “Where am I taking you tonight, pretty girl?”

_Somewhere we’ve not been before_...

“You two need to head back to the gym now.” Sansa gasped and they broke apart as Mr. Baelish had apparently materialized out of thin air. “Mr. Snow, Miss Stark, I’d hate to have to give you both detention,” he sounded stern but his eyes were dark and hungry looking.

_I’d swear he’s been here watching us_ , Sansa thought.

“Um, sorry...we’ll head back,” Jon was saying.

“No, that’s alright. We were just leaving, Mr. Baelish. Sorry to break school rules though,” Sansa said and she turned to Jon. “Is your mom home?” she asked plenty loud enough for Mr. Baelish to hear.

Jon hesitated a moment and said, “She mentioned working late and maybe some plans after work.”

“Good. Take me there then,” she said with what she hoped was a seductive smile. Jon was actually blushing as he took her hand and they walked right past Mr. Baelish out the door towards the parking lot.

 

* * *

 

 

**Jon-**

 

Lyanna was out. He’d not been home in a few days and only briefly then. The tension between them had been greater than ever lately and he was very relieved that she wasn’t home tonight. She wanted him to come home but he didn’t want to be there. Plus, Jon suspected she had a new boyfriend. He knew she’d had boyfriends over the years but she never brought them around their house or introduced them to him. _I’m sure she’s busy with the latest one tonight_.

Sansa was being a bit of a mystery. She’d said she had plans for them but then the sudden question about whether or not Lyanna was home in front of Mr. Baelish made him wonder if she really knew what she had in mind or was just saying it to get away from the school and the dance. She was quiet in the car, not extremely strange really, but she seemed nervous, too.

“Sansa, why are we here? Do you want me to take you out somewhere? We could get a bite to eat or just head back to Winterfell.”

Sansa looked over at him with a smile and said, “Sorry, I’m a bit distracted…and nervous. Uh, this is where I wanted to be. I’ve been planning this a…for a few days but now I’m here and I, uh…I can’t think of a single romantic or sexy thing to say so here it goes…I want to make love to you…tonight…right now actually. I hope that you don’t think I’m…” Her face was getting red and she couldn’t seem to finish.

“We don’t have to do this now. I mean, I’d really, really like to but…Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m really sure. Could we go to your room?”

“God, yes… Sansa, I’d love that more than anything. But uh, the condoms I had bought are still in my room at Winterfell.”

“I’ve got us covered,” she said with an impish smile.

_This is really happening…shit…this is really happening_.

On an impulse, he lifted her in his arms and was satisfied by her little shriek as he carried her down the hall to his room. But after he closed the door, he looked around for a minute in confusion.

_Should I get undressed or wait for her to start? I’d like to throw her on the bed and…okay, breathe and relax. What did I ever do to be this lucky?_

Sansa seemed to have regained her confidence watching him struggle with his own. “Sit on the bed, Jon. I’ve got a surprise.”

Jon sat on the bed, happy to let her take the lead for the moment. His heart was pounding in his chest and his stomach was is knots with anticipation. His hands were sweaty and he rubbed them on his thighs. Sansa turned away from him and pulled her hair out of her untidy bun and let it cascade down her back. She unzipped the back of her dress and was looking over her shoulder at him as she let the dress fall to puddle in the floor revealing what was underneath. She turned and stepped towards him and he felt like he’d been punched in the gut but in the best possible way. She was wearing a pair of lacy black undies with a matching bra. She even had a matching black lace garter belt on holding up her stockings and still wearing her heels.

“Sansa…Christ” he started to stammer, “I-I can’t even begin…”

“You like?” He nodded his head absently over dozen times at least before he caught himself. _Idiot!_ “I thought about putting my cheer outfit back on but you saw me in that earlier,” she said looking very satisfied with his reaction. “Want to help me take off these stockings?”

Jon finally found his voice again, “Yeah, I do. More than anything.”

He reached up and pulled her down on the bed next to him. She let out a laugh and he rolled on top of her to kiss her thoroughly. His cock was hard, straining against his boxers and pants.  Sansa moaned when she could feel him nestled between her thighs.

“You looked so gorgeous tonight but I’d love to see you without all these clothes now,” she said.

Jon rose up off of her long enough to swiftly jerk the sweater off and tossed it on the floor. Then, he stood up to kick off his shoes and nearly injured himself trying to get out of his pants in a hurry hopping on one foot. Sansa was giggling at his antics but he didn’t care. She was his and he was hers and this was really going to happen. She pulled him back down and started kissing his neck and helping him unbutton his shirt. Once he was free of that, they slowed down a bit to kiss some more.

“My shoes,” she said as she raised one leg up to his shoulder. He slid one heel off and tossed it behind him with a seductive smile. It clunked against the door loudly and they both laughed as she let him remove the other one.

“I could lay here looking at you all night like this,” he said. “Remembering you here like this is going to keep me from sleep several nights, I just know.”

“Help me with the garter and stockings,” she said.

He slowly rolled the stockings down her legs one at a time as they kept kissing. His hands were busy feeling her soft, warm skin as the garter belt joined her stockings on the floor. She reached back and undid her bra but she left the panties on. He asked her to lay down on the bed and knelt between her legs.

“Jon…you don’t have to do that.”

“I want to but it’s not just that. I want you to enjoy tonight and I’m afraid I’m never going to last long enough to make it good for you. Can I do this for you?”

Sansa smiled and nodded. Jon then proceeded to worship her with kisses and caresses from her mouth to her thighs. He ran his fingers across the lacy material of her underwear while he kissed her breasts. He nuzzled against her hips and thighs with his mouth and nose as he ran his hands across her collarbone, her shoulders and down her arms. He came back up to kiss her neck and mouth and she started pulling him in closer, begging him to enter her. But he wasn’t through done pleasing her yet. He slid the panties down her hips and knelt between her thighs once more. He started licking her folds and she began to moan. She was grasping his hair and pulling rather hard but it was a torment he was more than willing to take. He looked up with a grin for a moment and loved seeing her expression of bliss. He returned to his task and the sweet taste of her was nearly more than he could stand.

When she shuddered out her peak and started breathing a bit more slowly, he gave her slit one final swipe with his tongue and moved up her body to kiss her. He had to wipe down his drenched beard first.

“Was it good? Did my beard bother you?” he asked feeling a bit shy and uncertain all of the sudden.

She just stared at him for a moment. “Are you serious? That was amazingly good. Your beard tickled a bit but I liked it. And at the risk of sounding extremely unladylike, I really need to tell you that was fucking mind blowing.” He laughed at that, all shyness and uncertainty forgotten. Sansa asked him to lay on his back. “Margaery said it might not hurt as much if I have control. Is that okay?”

“Okay for you to have control or okay that you’ve been discussing this with Margaery?” She swatted his arm playfully. “Just kidding. I yield. Have your way with me, woman.”

Sansa got up suddenly and reached for her purse. “Almost forgot something. May I?” Jon could’ve kicked himself as he saw the foil packet in her hand.

“I’m sorry, Sansa. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Good thing I was,” she said as she opened the packet with a smile.

Sansa leaned over him and took his cock in her mouth. Jon groaned loudly and begged her to stop before he came all over her mouth. She laughed at his pitiful tone and sat up to roll the condom down his shaft then straddled his hips. She grasped his cock and rubbed it against her folds teasingly. He knew it was good for her moisten the head and make it easier for him to enter her but he didn’t know how much more he could take.

“Sansa…please,” he said feeling ready to explode with longing soon. She lowered herself slowly down to take him in bit by bit. “Oh, fuck! You are so tight! Sansa, I’m sorry. There’s no way I’m going to last long.”

Sansa grimaced as she slid down. “It hurts. It feels like I’m being stretched and pulled in half.”

“We can stop. We don’t have to.” He meant it, too, even though part of him felt like he would die if they stopped now.

She looked at him with her beautiful blue eyes and said, “You mean that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I love you, Jon.” And then she impaled herself the rest of the way sheathing him fully. “Oh, God! Jon! Fuck!” He could hear the pain in her voice.

“Sansa? Shit! Are you okay?” She panted for a minute and braced herself against his chest. “That hurt but it’s a bit better now. Just give me a minute more to adjust.”

Jon told himself to stay perfectly still no matter how much his body wanted to move. She was incredibly tight around him and it was an agonizingly good feeling. He started trying to work a Trig equation in his head, anything to keep his mind busy and his hips from moving of their own accord. When she started to move, he kept still for another minute until he was sure she ready for him to move. She made the most delicious sounds in the back of her throat each time he bucked against her. Her moans and whimpers and gasps were enough to make him come right then and there. He kept his hands on her hips and watched her face.

“I love you. I love you. Sansa, I love you…I never want to stop making love to you.”

Sansa looked and sounded like she was building towards another peak but he simply couldn’t hold out any longer. He cried out her name and his orgasm was so strong he thought he might never stop seeing stars.

 

They had been lying in the bed holding each other for far too long. He couldn’t stop the grin that kept spreading across his face at first. But then he’d started to doze off when he felt Sansa stiffen in his arms.

“Jon! It’s late, nearly midnight. I need to get home.”

_Great. Bring her in late in this state…they’ll know exactly what we’ve been doing. I wonder how hard Ned can hit…probably pretty fucking hard_.

He started helping her get dressed and pulled on his clothes. He froze when he heard the front door open. _Fuck!_

“Jon?” his mother was calling. “Are you home?”

_Let’s pretend I’m not and you didn’t see my car in the driveway_.

Sansa’s eyes were wide with panic. “It’s okay,” he said. “She’s not going to bark at you.”

They walked into the living room to find Lyanna with Captain Clegane.

“Jon,” she said with a smile but then took in their messy hair and wrinkled clothes and cleared her throat. “It’s rather late,” she finally said.

Jon was trying to master his emotions which were ping-ponging between panic, embarrassment, frustration and happiness. He was proud that his voice didn’t quake when he said hello to Captain Clegane and asked if he was here about Ramsey and Ygritte.

“Uh no, Jon. I’m not here about the case. How are you, Sansa?”

Sansa just nodded absently and smiled.

_Okay, obviously this will be on me_ … “So, you’re just here for a visit…this late?” he asked Clegane.

“He took me out for coffee after work, Jon. I guess you could call it a date,” Lyanna said.

“Well, then…um, good for you two,” he said as evenly as he could. “I need to get Sansa home.”

“Jon,” his mother called again as he was almost to the door. “We really need to talk. I want you to come back home to stay. You’ve been at Winterfell for weeks. It’s been long enough. We need to work through some things.”

“I don’t know…I’d rather not talk about this now. I’m good there, Mum. I, uh, got a dog a few days ago. I don’t want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing. This is your home. I wouldn’t mind a dog.”

“Actually, he’s one of a litter of pups. He’d miss his family if he came here.” _Just like me_.

He could tell she wasn’t happy with that answer but he steered Sansa towards the door.

“Please, Jon. Come home tomorrow and talk to me.”

“Maybe…okay? I really need to go.”

Jon headed swiftly to his car and helped Sansa in the passenger side of his car. Just as he closed Sansa’s door, Lyanna was there in his face. Gone were the sweet words and pleading look. She was angry now. And the little spark of rage that was always under the surface lately when it came to his mother started to catch fire.

“Is it your turn to run away now? Are you going to hide from me forever? Is my house just the place you bring your girlfriend to fuck and then run off again? How long do you think you’ll be welcome at Winterfell when you bring Ned and Cat’s little girl home past curfew reeking of sex?” she hissed.

Jon heard Captain Clegane clear his throat, “Lyanna…” he said in a cautioning tone. But Jon was past all caution now.

“You know what? Fuck you, Mum! Fuck you! I don’t care what you want anymore. I’m not coming home to live with you…ever again. I’d rather let Ned beat me bloody than spend one more night in this house with you. You don’t care about me. Why don’t you just go fuck your newest boyfriend and forget…”

**WHACK!**

Jon was seeing stars again for the second time that night but not for a good reason this time. Sansa screamed. His mother had just smacked him across the jaw…hard.

“Lyanna, stop this! Let the boy go! Work this out later when you’ve both cooled down.”

“Listen to the man, Mum. I’m done here tonight.” Jon got in the car and drove to Winterfell with his jaw aching, his fists clenched and Sansa crying while he tried to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know...these poor kids are always getting caught!


	17. Winter's Chill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> Quite a bit of angst.

_I could call Theon or Sam, crash at one of their places maybe_ …Jon knew he couldn’t really do that, couldn’t leave Sansa to face her parents alone but a small part of him that he wasn’t very proud of wanted to run away and not face the Starks. Sansa had stopped crying by the time they reached the house but she looked likely to start again at any moment. He stopped the car and leaned over towards her.

“Hey, I love you. We’ll deal with this together, okay?” She nodded. “I don’t regret anything we did tonight. I regret the fight with my mum but I don’t regret anything that happened between us.”

This time he was rewarded with a smile, a real smile.

They walked in the door and heard Cat say, “Ned! They’re here.” Ned was talking on the phone in the living room and looked up at them. Cat rushed over to Sansa first, “We’ve been so worried, darling.”

“I’m fine, Mom,” Sansa said quietly.

_Whoa. Why isn’t she yelling? Cat always does the yelling and breaking curfew is a major violation to her_.

“Jon,” she continued, “are you alright?”

“Um, yeah, Cat. I’m okay.” She pulled him into a hug and Jon felt a lump forming in his throat. _Why isn’t she angry with me?_

Cat pulled back from the hug as Ned walked from the living room into the hall and suddenly Jon realized that he didn’t need to worry about what Cat would say or do. He needed to worry about Ned. His face looked like it was carved from granite and his grey eyes were chips of old ice.

“Cat, take Sansa upstairs.” Cat and Sansa both started to protest. Sansa was claiming responsibility for being late and Cat was urging Ned to listen to them both. “GO TO YOUR ROOM, SANSA!”

Jon had never seen Ned so angry. _He’s actually yelling at her. What’s he going to do to me?_

Sansa headed up the stairs sobbing but Cat stood her ground. “Just listen to him, Ned. He’s as much our son as the rest of them. You love him and being angry doesn’t change that.” She gave Jon a smile and turned to follow her daughter.

_I might be able to out run him. Get in the car and drive…anywhere, I suppose_. Ned seemed to read his mind.

“Keys,” he said in a quiet snarl. Jon was still planning his escape and didn’t move. “KEYS! NOW! GIVE ME YOUR CAR KEYS, DAMMIT! YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”

Jon fumbled in his pockets and handed over his keys.

“My study…NOW!”

Jon walked to the study in a daze and sat down on the leather couch, waiting for his executioner to join him. He waited for several minutes. Ned must have been pacing or counting to a thousand or cleaning his gun… When he finally came in the room, the granite features had smoothed down enough to resemble the man Jon knew. His eyes were still angry but some of the warmth had returned to them as well.

“Do you have any idea how difficult the past several weeks have been for Cat and I? Worrying about you and Sansa and Bran after everything that happened? My daughter could have been raped and killed. You could’ve been killed. _Bran_ almost died. Letting you leave the house on your own has been so difficult for us. I’ve wanted to follow you all everywhere you go since that night, even Robb because I’ve been worried that he’d harm himself if I left him alone too long. But I can’t do that. You are nearly grown as is Robb. You and Robb will soon be going off on your own and Sansa is not far behind you…do you know how much I _hate_ that? Even though I know it’s what’s natural and right, I still hate it, too.”

Jon cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think of it that way.”

“Clearly. We worry, Jon. We’re parents. Someday you may know that worry, too. Robb came home over an hour ago and said you two just disappeared from the dance without a word. And then, you’re nearly an hour late getting home and all I could think was ‘what if that son of a bitch, Bolton, got ahold of them somehow? What if they’re dead?’ It’s enough to drive a man mad.”

“I’m sorry,” was all Jon could whisper. The lump in his throat was back and he was feeling guilty for the worry he had caused them.

_How hard would it have been to text them? Call them? Of course, they’re still worried about Ramsey. I should’ve thought of that, too_.

“You’re teenagers, you do stupid shit sometimes…I’m well aware of that fact but you’re not going to be able to use that as an excuse forever.” Ned ran his hands across his face and continued. “Your mum called before you got home. That’s who I was on the phone with when you walked in. I won’t pretend that I’m not angry that you apparently had sex with my daughter tonight. I am. She’s my daughter and 16 is pretty damn young.” Ned stopped and took a few deep breaths before he went on, “But I was young once, too, and I can still remember what it’s like to be young and in love. I’m most angry over the worry you caused us. And to learn what you were actually doing while we were so worried just made it worse.”

Jon nodded and said, “If you say so, I-I won’t touch her again but I can’t lose her…please, I love her so much. P-please don’t say I can’t be around her…”

Ned sat down next to him on the couch, breathed deeply again and started chuckling. It was such a relief to hear that sound at that moment. “Do you really think I’m going to believe that? Do you think you could even do that? You think I don’t know that you’ll be holding her again as soon as you possibly can? I know far better than that. I’m a man and far from dead. I won’t forbid you to see each other. I know how foolish that would be. It would only drive you both away from all of us.”

Ned sat for another minute chuckling to himself. _Maybe I’m not about to die after all_. He put his arm around Jon’s shoulders and finally said, “You shouldn’t have said those things to your mum and she shouldn’t have hit you. She’s afraid she’s lost you. Maybe she lost you a long time ago but she really does want to be a part of your life. The way she is…it’s not your fault but it still involves you. Cat’s trying to talk her into going to see Dr. Lannister. It is past time Lyanna addresses some of her issues. But she does love you…in her way, she does. She was so upset when you were hurt. She fretted over you so much while you were in the hospital. She felt abandoned when you came here to stay and didn’t want to be with her. I want you to apologize to your mother tomorrow for the things you said tonight. I know she is to blame for most of what’s wrong with your relationship but you need to work at fixing it, too.” Jon sighed and nodded. “I love you, Jon. I told you nothing would change that and I still mean it but I think you should go live with Lyanna again. Not because I don’t want you here, we all love having you here, but nothing will ever be solved between you and your mum if you don’t try and spend some time together and your time together is running out. By the time you start college next year, it may be too late.”

Ned hugged him and told him to head off to bed and they would talk more in the morning. Jon walked up the stairs and stood in front of Sansa’s door. He could hear her voice and Cat’s talking. She didn’t seem to be crying though. He started to move on down the hall when the door opened. Cat was there with Sansa.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Cat asked.

“Yes, I’m fine, Cat.”

Sansa rushed past her mother and hugged him. “Jon?” she asked with concern.

“I’m fine. We’re fine. I’m going on to bed now, okay? I’ll see you in the morning.”

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek and returned to her room. Cat smiled and followed her back in her room. He passed Robb’s room and really wanted to stop and talk to him but decided to head on to his room as asked. Ghost was laying on his bed when he walked in and raised his head and started wagging his tail. Jon had named his dog Ghost because of his white fur and how much quieter he was than the rest of his littermates. Jon smiled and scratched his ears.

“Hello, boy,” he said with a sigh. “I’m home…but we’re going to another home tomorrow. It’ll be okay. You’ll see.” Jon laid down next to his dog. He laid there a long time before he finally fell asleep stroking his dog’s fur.

 

Three weeks had passed since homecoming. Jon and Sansa had continued seeing each other but no sleeping over was allowed and they constantly felt they were being observed when they were at either house. Jon wasn’t allowed to have Sansa over to his house if his mother wasn’t home. They were both grounded for two weeks for breaking curfew and Jon was only allowed to use his car to and from school during that time. But once he had his wheels back, his car became their private refuge. They saw each other at school, went on dates to the movies or go eat, and they’d spend time with Lady and Ghost every day. They’d go to each other’s homes to watch TV or whatever. She’d come watch him rehearse with Sam and Pyp and he’d come to basketball games to watch her cheer even though he didn’t really care for basketball. But his car was the only place they were ever truly alone.

Having sex with Sansa in his car was pretty damn hot in Jon’s opinion even if it wasn’t always the most comfortable location. There was the illicit feeling that someone might happen upon them while they were at it no matter how remote the location Jon chose and that added a bit more excitement to something Jon already found extremely exciting. He didn’t like to choose anything too remote though. He remembered Ned’s worries about Ramsey and knew that things were probably not finished there yet. He didn’t want to risk Sansa’s safety even if it made their sex life more prone to discovery.

“Sansa, sweet girl…I need to…I want to come,” he panted as she was still shuddering from her own climax. They were in his back seat and she was still in her uniform. They’d left school as soon as the basketball game had ended and he’d told her to take off her panties and leave the rest on.

“You and your little cheerleader fetish,” she’d teased.

“You’re the only cheerleader I want, I swear.”

He’d just gotten her off with his fingers. She smiled seductively and moved to take him in her mouth.

“No, not that. I want to be inside of you…please.”

“I don’t have my purse. I didn’t bring anything, Jon.”

“I did.” He leaned across the front seat to reach the glove box and pulled out a new box of condoms and some baby wipes. They had already learned the hard way that baby wipes were handy for car sex. “Ride me this time, okay? I love watching you ride me. I love it when you’re loud, too.”

Sansa giggled, “I’m always loud. You usually try to shush me with kisses.”

He grinned and said, “I won’t this time.”

The windows were fogged up. It was bitterly cold outside and drizzling. Surely, no one would be spending time at the park on an afternoon like this. Jon had parked in the most remote spot he could find but they could still see the abandoned playground and picnic tables. They were still holding each other afterwards and breathing hard when his phone rang.

“Shit, it’s Sandor…Uh, hello?”

“Hello, Jon. It’s Sandor. Your mum asked me to remind you about dinner tonight. 7 o’clock, okay?”

“Yeah. I haven’t forgotten.”

“Good. Uh, someone called in to dispatch a few minutes ago to report a suspicious vehicle at the Mazyn Picnic area. The car was the same make, model and color as yours…not that it would be you there. Anyway, Patrol will probably be passing through there shortly to be sure everything’s okay. Concerned citizens, you know.”

_Shit!_ “Yeah…okay, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you tonight.”

Sansa was laughing all the way back to her house about the phone call. Jon was just grateful they’d not been interrupted earlier or had the embarrassing experience of having a patrol officer tapping at the glass without warning.

 

This dinner thing was becoming a routine, twice a week. Dinner at home with his mother and Sandor sitting at the table together like a normal family. _Yeah, right_. Lyanna would cook something… _I had no idea she even knew how to cook_ …and they would discuss their day. It was weird and awkward at times but he was trying. Ned had told him to try. Tyrion had told him to try. Sandor had told him he should try, too. Sandor was a good man, a kind man and he made Lyanna happy. She seemed more at peace when he was around, more comfortable in her own skin. She was trying. Lyanna had admitted to him she’d been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder years ago but had always avoided dealing with it. She said Tyrion was trying to help her with that and Jon did want her to be better. But part of him couldn’t help but still feel resentful towards her and the way she’d always been. He was still waiting for her to run out the door again. They’d met with Tyrion together for the first time a few days earlier and ended up in a screaming match that had poor Tyrion shouting them both down until he was as red in the face and as angry as they were. Individual therapy was going much better though. Tyrion had told them to return together next week so he had that to look forward to again. _Oh, goody_ …

He resented Sandor, too, even though he knew it wasn’t exactly fair of him. Sandor had called him ‘son’ in passing at the table last time they’d had dinner and Jon had immediately yelled, “I’M NOT YOUR SON!” and stormed off to his room and Ghost. He’d returned 10 minutes later and apologized and Sandor had taken it in stride and told Jon he didn’t mean to make him feel uncomfortable. He most resented it when Sandor would stay over at night. Lyanna would go to his house sometimes but more often he was at their house. It made Jon furious when he could hear her bed creaking and muffled sounds coming from her room at night. He wanted to be with Sansa. He wanted to be at Winterfell, not listening to his mum fuck Sandor Clegane in the next room. Those nights he’d pop in his earbuds and turn up his music as loud as he could stand it and think about Sansa.

Jon decided to do his best to play nice tonight. He helped Lyanna set the table and carried food to the table for her. He tried not to stiffen when she unexpectedly hugged him in the kitchen. He relaxed and let her hug him and even hugged her back.

“Did you have a good day, Mum?” he asked. _Try, Snow. You can do this_.

“I did. It’s only been about a month but I really like my new job. The people are all so nice. Did you have a good day at school?” Lyanna never seemed to keep jobs very long… _dropping out of site for weeks or months at time tended to explain that_...but she never seemed to have trouble finding a new one. Jon suspected Ned played a role in that just as he was no doubt the reason their house was paid off and Jon would be able to attend any college he chose that would accept him.

“Yeah, school was fine.”

“And how’s Sansa?”

_Pretty fucking amazing in the back seat of my car actually_ … “She’s good.”

“And the rest of the Starks?”

“All good. I’m going to hang out with Robb tomorrow night…if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” she smiled. She liked it when he asked permission, he’d learned.

The door opened and Sandor came in. He took his gun off and laid it on top of the bookshelf as always. He looked worn out. “I was getting worried,” Lyanna was saying. Sandor looked over at him and Jon suddenly knew he was about to hear something he wouldn’t like.

“I have some news. A hiker came across a female body in the Wolfswood yesterday. The coroner was able to get a match with dental records. It was Ygritte.”


	18. December's Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's dealing with some issues and being an ass...poor Sansa's trying to cope with him. Robb helps. Things do improve.

**Sansa-**

 

Jon was not Jon…not lately anyway. Sansa thought that perhaps it had been building since he’d been living back at home with his mother but the news of Ygritte’s death seemed to tip the scale. He was brooding and angry, more so than Sansa could ever remember him. Robb had noticed, too. He told her not to worry, to give him some time and he’d come around.

“He’s got so much shit to deal with, Sansa. You know as well as I do it’s not easy at home for him right now. And he’s struggling with all the school work and pressure. And then Ygritte…”

She knew Robb was right but it didn’t make it any easier. _Is he angry over her death? Sad that she’s gone? Does he feel guilty? Probably yes to all three_ …

 

Jon had said very little about Ygritte’s death so Sansa called Captain Clegane and asked what he could tell her. He was reluctant to say too much to her about it but Sansa learned that she’d been murdered, stabbed to death. They didn’t have any proof it was Ramsey but they were pretty sure it was him. _Of course it was_. Sansa shivered when she thought about it. Sandor said that Ygritte had been online about a week before her death sending messages to her mother. _She wanted to come home. She was sorry for what she did. She_ _was afraid but she thought she might be able to get away and come home_. The cops had been monitoring the internet for any signs of her but Ms. Wilde had called them to report the contact and her fears for her daughter. The messages had been sent from a public library north near Castle Black. The local cops had turned up nothing though once they were alerted. Sansa couldn’t hate Ygritte now. She never truly had hated her. And now, she only felt pity for the girl. But the chilling part for everyone at home had been that Ygritte had been found in the Wolfswood, less than 15 miles from their home. She wasn’t killed there but the coroner didn’t think she’d been dead long before her body was dumped. The police had been searching for both of them for weeks all over the North and they’d been less than 15 miles from home. _Is he still nearby?_ Sansa shuddered again and hugged Lady.

 

“Tyrion asked about you. He thought you were sick since you cancelled your appointment yesterday,” she said after they’d been riding along for 10 minutes in total silence after Sansa’s therapy appointment.

“Yeah.”

“But, you told me we couldn’t hang out yesterday because you had the appointment.”

“I…I had homework, Sansa.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Just okay, okay? I just hope you’re still going to continue with your therapy. Tyrion says…”

“Tyrion says a lot of things. Doesn’t really change anything.”

“Jon…I want to help you. I…can we talk about what’s going on with you? You know I’m here for you, right? We can talk about Ygritte or home or school or anything and everything that’s bothering you.”

Jon didn’t respond. He pulled into her driveway and parked the car… _nothing_.

“Aren’t you going to say anything to me?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say. I need to go home, Sansa,” he said staring at the steering wheel. Sansa felt sick at her stomach and thought her heart might break until he looked over and said, “I love you. I’m sorry but I need to go and I don’t want to talk right now.”

“Alright, I’m still here though whenever you need me. I love you,” she said and got out of the car with a heavy heart and hoped that things would be better the next day.

 

Things weren’t better. He was silent and sullen the next day and then they had argued about him being so silent and sullen. The day after that they had talked some by text but then he said he had college testing to prepare for and couldn’t come to the basketball game or take her home. He hadn’t suggested sex lately either and Sansa was afraid of feeling rejected if she suggested it and he refused. He didn’t really seem like he wanted to spend much time with her at all in any form or fashion. A few days had become a week of this and Sansa wasn’t sure what to do.

 

Despite the tension between them lately, Sansa was still riding home from school with Jon most days. On Tuesday afternoon, he had asked if they could go to the park for a bit. She knew what he meant by that and was happy. He was always so open and loving after they were intimate and she was hoping that this would fix whatever was going on. But on the way there she had asked him about therapy again.

“Did you go to therapy yesterday?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to! Okay? I don’t want to listen to Tyrion or my mum tell me about how I need to _try_ and work on our relationship anymore! I’m tired of fighting with her! I don’t want to talk about Ygritte either! I don’t want to talk to anybody about anything, alright!?”

Jon didn’t speak again. Sansa had tried drawing him back in to talking to her but he didn’t say another word. He didn’t drive to the park either. He took her home and pulled out of the driveway as soon as she got out of the car. She was crying alone in her room when Robb found her. She cried in her brothers arms and asked him what she did wrong.

“Nothing, Sansa. You’ve not done anything wrong,” Robb said as he held her and let her cry.

 

The next day she was heading to the parking lot after school. He’d texted that he could drive her to her therapy appointment if she wanted and she’d agreed because she wasn’t sure what else to do. Jon was sitting in his car, not looking at her, just looking pissed. Sansa stopped in front of his car and just watched him. _Please look at me. Please come back_ _to me_. Robb saw her and came over.

“This is bullshit, Sansa. I’ll drive you to therapy today,” he said.

Jon got out of the car. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“No, I’m going to ride with Robb,” Sansa answered though her voice shook.

His face got red. “Fine!” he yelled and started to head back to his car.

Robb got to him before he could close the door and shoved him up against the side of the car. “Stop it, Jon! Stop punishing Sansa for whatever the fuck is wrong with you! This isn’t her fault!”

“Leave me alone, Robb!”

“No, I’ve tried that. I’ve given you all the space I could and that doesn’t seem to be helping. Was Ygritte so important to you that you’re determined to push my sister away now?”

“Shut the fuck up, Robb,” Jon said. “It isn’t about that.”

“Then what is wrong with you? Why are you being such an ass to her? To everyone?”

“Just…fuck off! God! Just…just go home to your perfect family and perfect house and just leave me the fuck alone! It doesn’t concern you!”

“It does when I have to hold my crying sister after school now that you’ve decided to be a total dick to her and won’t even tell her why.”

Sansa started to cry. She hated crying like this but it was too hard watching her beloved brother and Jon arguing this way. _I’m being torn in two_.

“Robb…please, let’s just go. I can’t…I can’t stand this. Leave him alone if that’s what he wants.”

Robb looked like he wanted to shove Jon again or curse him or maybe even cry. Instead, he turned to Sansa, put his arm around her and took her to his car. Sansa saw Jon watching them pull away. _Watching but doing nothing_.

 

Robb and Sansa drove in silence to therapy. Robb’s phone was getting texts but he was ignoring it. Sansa’s phone was as silent as the grave. They were early for her appointment and when they arrived, Margaery was there waiting for Loras. Sansa wanted to wash her face after crying and headed to the ladies room and when she came out Robb and Margaery were sitting close together, smiling at each other and he was holding her hand. Sansa felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She’d wanted this for them for ages now but seeing them together and looking happy when there was such a distance between her and Jon was just too painful. Margaery cleared her throat and moved back from Robb a bit when she saw her.

Sansa said, “Don’t mind me,” with the best fake smile she could muster at the moment and sat on the other side of the waiting room, absently flipping through a magazine.

She could hear them whispering to each other and sometimes one of them would laugh softly. Sansa looked out the window. It had started snowing and Sansa’s heart felt like it was freezing inside her chest.

 

Sansa sobbed throughout therapy. It wasn’t like she hadn’t cried there before but this was terrible. Tyrion had asked about Jon and Sansa turned into a mess of tears and snot and hiccups. She almost laughed to see the relieved look on his face when their time was up. _Poor man. It must get old watching people fall apart all the time_. When she came out though, Robb was waiting for her and smiling.

“It’s going to be okay, Sansa. You’ll see.”

Sansa just nodded and went to wash her face again. She thought he was wrong but she didn’t want to argue with her brother. She turned her phone back on and by the time she reached the parking lot there were five new texts, all from Jon.

**JON: 4:35PM** I’m sorry. Robb is right. I’ve been an ass.

**JON: 4:37PM** I know you’re at therapy and probably have your phone off. I’m so sorry. Please give me another chance.

**JON: 5:09PM** I can’t believe how I’ve been treating you. I hope you’ll text me back. I’m sorry.

**JON: 5:25PM** I love you. I should’ve started with that. I suck at this. I want to talk to you. Please call me or text back when you can.

**JON: 5:30PM** Robb says to stop sending you texts now. I hope you’ll call me tonight. I love you and I’m sorry for being such an idiot.

Sansa couldn’t help but smile and Robb grabbed her phone and started laughing.

“You’ve been texting with him while I was with Tyrion?” she asked.

“Yeah. He texted me first. Want to see?” Sansa nodded and he handed her his phone.

**JON: 3:45PM** You’re right. I’m being a dick, an ass…any word you want to call me. I’m fucking up the best part of my life. Tell me what to do.

**JON: 3:50PM** I am a total shit. I can’t believe you’ve had to comfort her while I’ve been wallowing in self-pity. So, are you going to respond to me? Should I text her? I need your advice.

**JON: 3:51PM** I’m sorry for being a shit to you, too. You both deserve better than my moody ass.

**JON: 4:32PM** Okay, I know she’s in therapy but you’re not. Are you going to leave me twisting in the wind like this?

**ROBB: 4:33PM** Patience, Snow. I was busy talking to a lovely young lady. And you deserve to twist, brother. You’ve been an ass.

The conversation went on from there but Robb took the phone back. Sansa felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest but she still needed to see him and talk to him.

 

When they got home, Rickon came running out to greet them. “Sansa! Sansa! Come look what you got!” He led her to the kitchen where Bran, Arya and her mother were standing. On the counter was a fancy gold floral box and inside were a dozen winter-blue roses. The note inside read:

_I am an idiot but this idiot still loves you with all of his heart-Jon_

Sansa ducked out of the kitchen to avoid everyone’s questions and headed up to her room to call Jon.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he answered.

“Is that how you answer the phone now?”

“Yep, until you forgive me, I’m going to keep saying it. I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you. Thank you for the flowers. Why aren’t you here?”

“It’s family dinner night here. I dropped off the flowers with Rickon but had to come on home. This may come as a shock but I’ve been a bit of an ass here at home lately and I’m grounded.”

“Jon…can we talk about this?”

“Yes…Sansa, I’m sorry. I’ve been angry about lots of things but I’ve handled it all stupidly. I hate what happened to Ygritte and I just…I was scared. I was thinking that it could’ve been you, knowing he was close by made me afraid but angry all over again. And I feel like maybe it’s my fault she died.”

“You had nothing to do with that. She made a bad choice by being around him. It’s awful but it’s not your fault.”

“Things have been hard here at home, too. I…my mum is really trying and…the more she tries the more I don’t want to. I’m being selfish, I know.”

“I think she’s been plenty selfish over the years. So, forgive yourself for not wanting to throw your heart into this right away. You’re probably afraid if you do she’ll just leave again.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment and Sansa was afraid she’d made him mad until she realized he was crying. “You’re right,” he finally said.

“I wish I could be with you.”

“Me, too. Can we talk at school tomorrow? Will you let me drive you home?”

“Yes, I’d like that. I’ll see you outside of Lit class. I love you.”

“I love you, Sansa. I’m sorry again for hurting you. I’ll try to not ever be such a stupid ass again.”

“Promises, promises,” she teased. “Text me later.”

“Okay. Love you.”

 

The next day Sansa rushed up the stairs to Mr. Baelish’s classroom. Jon was already standing outside watching for her. They stared at one another for a moment or two before he pulled her in for a hug and they started kissing. Sansa was trying not to start crying she was so happy to be in his arms again. Several students were having to step around them in the hall and were making jests or whistling at them but Sansa couldn’t care less. The bell rang and Jon pulled her into the alcove next to the classroom entrance where they at least wouldn’t be in the way.

“Sorry,” Jon said while he caught his breath, “we should’ve made up somewhere less public.”

“Yes, that probably would’ve been a good idea,” Mr. Baelish said from the doorway. “It seems to me that you two really have a hard time keeping your hands to yourselves and school policies in mind. You’re both tardy and since this is the second time I’ve had to witness your…um…affection for one another, I think detention is in order…for both of you.”

Jon looked angry and started to open his mouth when Sansa silenced him with a touch. She didn’t want him getting into more trouble.

She kept holding Jon’s hand as she said, “Sorry, Mr. Baelish.” Then, she looked at Jon and said with a smile, “I’ll see you in Detention. Go on to class. Remember, you’re taking me home.”

Sansa followed Mr. Baelish into the room. _I’ve never had detention before but I couldn’t care less. As long as we’re okay, nothing else can upset me today_.

 

* * *

 

**Jon-**

 

His last two classes crawled by but he didn’t care. He’d made up with Sansa and that was all that really matter. _I never should’ve let things go so far in the first place. I should’ve_ _just talked to her instead of being so stubborn and stupid_. Jon had been upset by Ygritte’s death. She didn’t deserve that. And he had been worried by how close Ramsey had been. The thought that Sansa might still be in danger…that any of them could still be in danger had frightened him. But weeks of being home with Lyanna had been what was really wearing him down. He loved his mother but he also didn’t trust his mother and love without trust was nearly impossible. She was going to therapy, she was making a real effort when they went to their counseling sessions together and she wanted them to be close. Jon just wasn’t sure what he wanted. He’d been terrible to her lately but he figured Lyanna could take a little terrible from him after years of him trying to please her and being cast aside. But Sansa hadn’t done anything like that to him and he’d rebuffed her and treated her like she wasn’t important. He’d do whatever it took to get her trust and faith in him back.

Lyanna had been pleased by the flowers he'd picked for her and his apology. It had just been him and her at dinner last night as Sandor had been working late. They had talked and he had promised to go with her to their next session with Tyrion. He was back in his mother’s good graces and asked if he could spend time with Sansa tonight. She had agreed provided he came home at 9:00. So, tonight would be all about Sansa. _Whatever she wants to do, wherever she wants to go…I’m at my lady’s command…right after_ _detention, dammit_.

 

When the dismissal bell rang, Jon headed to Detention Hall and discovered that Ms. Tarth was in charge this week.

_Shit. She won’t allow us to do anything but sit there silently and do school work_.

He’d had detention a few times and knew that some of the teachers were a bit more lenient or at least absent part of the time but not Ms. Tarth. She was actually a really nice teacher but _no one_ fucked with Ms. Tarth. She was as tall as Sandor and looked like she could snap even the football players in half. Jon took a seat and waited for Sansa. The final bell rang five minutes later and no Sansa. _Did he end up letting her off? He seemed rather pleased with himself_. _Ms. Tarth had my name down_. Jon walked up to the front.

“Um, Ms. Tarth? Sansa Stark got detention with me,” Jon said quietly.

“And, Mr. Snow?” Her impatience was clear.

“Well, she’s not here. Isn’t she on your list? I’m supposed to drive her home.”

“Mr. Baelish asked to keep her in his room. He said he needed a student helper today.”

Jon felt a wave of panic at the thought of Sansa alone with him in his classroom with the school practically empty.

“I need to see her…I need to call her!”

“Sit down and be quiet, Mr. Snow, or we’ll be seeing more of each other this week.”

_Think…don’t panic_ … “Ms. Tarth,” he whispered as he leaned in closer, “Mr. Stark has had to speak with Principal Mormont about Mr. Baelish and Sansa before…will you please let me call him at least? He’d want to know if his daughter was left alone with Mr. Baelish.”

Ms. Tarth started to open her mouth again but stopped and looked at him. Something like revulsion crossed her face for a moment before she said, “Alright, Snow. Step in the hall and call Mr. Stark, only Mr. Stark, and then get back in here.”

“Thank you!”

 

* * *

 

**Ned-**

 

He left the office wondering if he was about to make a fool of himself. Jon had sounded so worried and Ned didn’t doubt the boy’s concern but he had no idea where Baelish’s classroom was and he didn’t think storming through the school shouting for Sansa was a good idea, especially if she was just cleaning chalkboards or washing desks or whatever kids had to do for detention these days. He had called to speak with Jeor but had been told he’d already left for the day. So, he drove to the school and arrived around 4:00PM. _They’ll be done with detention in 30 minutes anyway_. _Cat’s going to laugh when I tell her this_.

Ashara Dayne was the only faculty left in the office when he arrived. _I’m in luck then_. Ned had dated Ashara in high school. She was his first love, his first lay actually. She was still just as beautiful as she had been then. When they’d went to separate colleges, they’d drifted apart and he’d met Cat. He’d never forget Ashara but he never regretted the choice he made. Cat was his life and Ashara was the girl he had loved when he was just a kid.

“Hello, Ned. What brings you in?” she asked with her warm smile.

“Sansa has detention with Mr. Baelish but I need to see her. It’s kind of urgent, Ashara.”

“They’ll be out in 30 minutes. Sure you don’t want to visit with me for a bit and then we’ll fetch her?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of important I see her now. I’m sorry.”

“Alright, follow me.”

They headed upstairs and towards the other end of the school. _God, I already can’t stand the weasel. I hope Jon’s just over-reacting or I may just kill him_. Ashara came to stop outside the door and knocked before turning the handle.

“It’s locked,” she said. “That’s strange.”

Ned moved Ashara to the side and pounded on the door. “Open the door, Baelish,” he yelled.

A minute passed before the door opened and there stood Petyr looking for all the world like the cat caught with the canary. But Sansa was just sitting at his desk drawing on some poster boards. She didn’t seem upset or anything. He had music playing though. His usual jacket and tie were off and Ned didn’t like the look of this…it just felt all wrong.

“Dad?”

Baelish’s eyes had dropped to the floor and Ned suddenly could tell his mind was working. _Thinking up a lie_.

“Petyr, you know you can’t lock the door when you have a student in your room,” Ashara was saying.

“A mistake. So absent-minded of me…”

“Stay the fuck away from my daughter or I will eat your kidneys for breakfast,” he said in his normal steady voice. Ned called Sansa to him and led her to the door. Ashara was staring at him, shock plain on her lovely face but Baelish just smirked at him. “I’m going to get Jon Snow out of detention as well, Ashara. Tell Jeor I’ll be calling him first thing tomorrow morning. And my daughter will be needing her schedule adjusted.”

“Dad," Sansa said as they moved out to the hallway, "he wasn’t doing anything. He had me working on posters for yearbook sales.”

“Something wasn’t right about that. He shouldn’t have had you in his room alone like that after I’ve already had to talk to Mormont about him. Better safe than sorry.”

“How did you know to come get me?”

“Jon called me.”

“Oh,” she smiled, “he was worried?”

“Yes. Are you going to be upset if I get your schedule changed? Is there even another teacher at the school you could have for that subject?”

“I’m not going to be upset and yes, there’s another teacher. Thanks, Dad.”

“You bet…um, don’t tell your mother what I said in there…at least not word for word, okay?”

“Okay,” she laughed and he hugged his daughter before they headed down the hall again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Baelish thing wasn't entirely in sync with the rest of the chapter but I wanted to deal with the Creepyfinger issue and I wanted Ned to be the one to deal with him. I actually wanted Ned to hit him but decided a threat would be more realistic and less likely to involve law enforcement. Hope you think it flows okay.


	19. Yuletide Cheer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy fluff and a little smut.
> 
> Jon's POV

The Thing with Mr. Baelish, as the family would refer to it in the years to come, sparked a variety of reactions at Winterfell that evening. Jon was just happy to be with Sansa that night after the agony of the past nine days. Nine days of him acting like a self-absorbed ass had only succeeded in making them both miserable, he concluded. Cat was finishing up dinner and the boys were carrying the food to the table while the pups weaved around everyone’s feet hoping for a stray morsel of Cat’s roast to hit the floor. Rickon was actually pinching off bits to feed his dog, Shaggy, when Cat caught him. She made a clucking sound with her tongue and whistled and all five dogs stopped what they were doing and came to her.

Jon’s eyes got wide and Sansa laughed, “She’s been training them when we’re at school.”

“Yes, but they’re still pups and we’ve a long way to go,” Cat said. She then snapped her fingers three times and the dogs all left the kitchen, although there were a few whines from pups and children alike.

“So, Cat’s some kind of dog whisperer then?” Jon asked.

“I’m here with them most of the day, Jon. Did you think I was going to let them take over?”

“She’s awesome with them, Jon,” Bran added. “You could bring Ghost over and let Mom train him.”

Jon was rather proud of the fact that he’d been training Ghost himself but he did want to bring him back over to visit his littermates soon.

 

As the family sat down to eat, Ned admitted his words to Mr. Baelish to the family… _more or less_ …and what had sparked them. Robb had been incensed and immediately suggested egging his car. Jon rather liked that idea. Arya, of course, took it a step further and suggested they hit his house instead of his car and throw rocks instead of eggs. Jon liked that idea as well but Ned put a stop to both notions at once. Bran and Rickon just laughed at their father’s threat to Mr. Baelish. But Cat sat there silently with narrowed eyes. Once dinner was cleared from the table, she excused herself and said she needed to make a phone call. Jon learned the next day from Robb that Ned had actually driven to the school the that morning instead of calling and had had several choice words to share with Mormont about Mr. Baelish. But Mr. Baelish had called in sick that morning and then it was announced he would be taking a leave of absence until after winter break.

“What did Cat do?” Jon asked Robb as their substitute teacher started handing back graded papers.

“I don’t know but you know Mom. She can be quite scary when she’s pissed. I’d wager old Petyr got an earful last night from his high school sweetheart at least.”

 

Jon and Robb had taken their college entrance exams in mid-December right before the term ended and were hoping to get their scores back in January. They’d spent a lot of time talking with Ned about schools they were interested in applying to but Jon had a hard time getting excited about college. Sansa still had another year of high school to go. He couldn’t stand the thought of being away from her for the better part of nine months next year.

 

He had also agreed to a trip to Dorne to meet his father. Lyanna had set it up for Spring Break so he wouldn’t miss school and it was far enough away so that she had plenty of time to request the time off from work. But Jon had asked that Sansa be allowed to go with them. Actually, he considered it a condition of him going though he didn’t phrase it that way to his mother. He was willing to go meet his father but he knew he’d want the comfort of Sansa by his side. Lyanna had not objected and had helped convince Ned and Cat to let her go by swearing she would act as a responsible chaperone for their daughter. _Let’s hope Mum’s not_ too _responsible though_ , he thought as he imagined a week with Sansa in sunny Dorne.

 

For now though, Jon and the Stark kids were relishing Winter Break, except Bran who had just returned to school a week before the break.

“I just started getting comfortable with all my friends and classes again. Now, I’ll have to start all over in January,” he was saying as he petted his dog, Summer, by the fireplace one evening.

“Bran, you are the only kid I know that’s not happy for school to be out,” Arya huffed as she threw her gear in her bag. “So, are you guys coming to my game or not?”

Jon and Sansa took Bran and Rickon to watch Arya’s hockey match. Jon and the boys loved hockey and cheered loudly for Arya’s team but Sansa kept winching every time her sister got slammed into the boards…or every time her sister slammed someone else into the boards.

“It’s so violent,” she whimpered as Arya got her bloody lip checked by the coach.

“So is football.”

“I know but she’s my sister, my little sister.”

“She’s tough, Sansa.”

“She’s definitely tougher than me.”

“Nah, you’re tough, too…just in other ways,” he said as he slid his arm around her.

 

As Christmas approached, the Stark family prepared for their annual holiday party on the 23rd and the house was turned upside down to prepare. It was a tradition that Ned’s grandfather had started and Ned was not about to let it go. They invited several friends and neighbors, plus Ned’s employees from the office and his closest business associates. Ned and Cat always let the kids invite some of their friends as well. Cat was usually in a foul temper for the 48 hours preceding the party while she worked like a mad woman with the caterer’s, the party rental people and serving staff to have everything just so. Jon honestly wondered if she wouldn’t be a lot happier if they could drop the whole ordeal but she always pulled it off with style.

The day of the party, Jon had come to the house early on the pretense of helping out and brought Ghost to hang out with his brothers and sister. He was also hoping to have some time alone with Sansa as well. Bran and Rickon were sweeping the hallway when he walked in. Well, they were supposed to be sweeping. They were actually having a sword fight with broom sticks.

“Don’t tell Mom,” Rickon whispered when they noticed Jon was watching them and laughing to himself.

He peeked in the living room and saw Arya grumbling to herself as she swatted the bookcases with a feather duster.

“She’s being completely insufferable,” she whined when she saw him.  Jon just ruffled her hair sympathetically and went to find the others.

Robb was in the kitchen with Theon when Jon walked in.

“Run,” Robb advised him in all seriousness, “Run while you still can.”

Theon laughed, “Cat’s in a mood. The florist delivered the wrong flowers…it’s the end of the world.”

Cat came into the kitchen at that moment and glared at them both. “What are you two still doing here? I told you five minutes ago to head to the store to get my Christmas dinner supplies and pick up the dry cleaning. Must I beg to get anyone to lift a finger to help me around here?!”

“No, Mom. We’re going.”

She then turned to Jon and said in a completely nice, normal tone, “Oh, hello, sweetheart. Sansa’s in the laundry room folding the linens. Perhaps you could help her?”

“How come Jon gets off so easy?” Robb asked and Cat threw her day planner at him. Robb and Theon were laughing as they ran out the door.

 

Jon let Ghost join his siblings outside and went to the laundry room and found Sansa surrounded by a sea of linen table clothes and napkins. She had a large stack neatly folded on the table already but still had a good bit to do.

“Can I help?”

Sansa got up and hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re here. Mom’s been a nightmare all morning.”

Jon grinned and said, “I kind of noticed.”

Once they’d folded all the linens, Sansa took his hand and started pulling him towards the stairs and her room. “Until she figures out what we need to do next,” she giggled. But Cat met them at the head of the stairs and Sansa told her they’d finished the linens.

“Alright, dear. Thank you. I’m heading to the florist shop to see if they can get this mess fixed for tonight. I’m also driving Arya over to see Shireen for a bit and I’ve given Bran and Rickon some free time. Just make sure they don’t make a mess of things. See you later.”

Jon and Sansa watched her head out the door and then looked at each other. Twenty seconds later they were in Sansa’s room, kissing on her bed. When they came up for air, Jon asked, “Did you lock the door? I don’t relish getting walked in on by Bran or Rickon at the moment.”

“I locked it.”

“I know it’s been a while since we’ve…which was totally my fault…but I’d really love it…that is if you’d like to…”

Sansa put a finger over his lips. “Stop talking and take off your clothes, Jon.”

 

The party was in full swing by 7 o’clock. Jon kept grinning like a fool every time Sansa walked by in her dark green dress and smiled at him. Lyanna had arrived with Sandor and Cat’s brother, Edmure, and his family had arrived earlier in the afternoon to spend the next few days with the family. Arya had invited a boy to the party. His name was Gendry and he was actually a freshman at the high school whereas Arya was still in 8th grade. They knew each other from hockey apparently as his team practiced the same nights as Arya’s. Robb spent a good half hour glaring at the poor boy.

“Stop it, Robb. Gendry’s really nice. He never would’ve worked up the nerve to make a move so I had to first,” Arya said when she, Robb and Jon were alone in the kitchen a bit later.

Robb’s ears started turning red and his face became stern like Ned’s could at times and Jon suggested he go fetch some more ice before he blew a gasket.

“You’d better take your friend out to the party tent, Arya, before he gets back.”

Arya grinned and headed out the French doors to the backyard where the huge tent was set up.

 

The party spread throughout the ground floor of the house but most of the guests were outside in the tent. Snow covered the ground and there were fairy lights strung up outside that reflected off the snow making the whole lawn look like a winter wonderland. Inside the tent, the ground was covered and there were heaters to keep the guests comfortable. Sansa was standing by her mother greeting the Glovers when Jon came to stand beside her.

“You look gorgeous,” he whispered in her ear.

“Thanks. You look very handsome in that suit.”

Jon smiled and put his arm around her waist. “I think your mom mentioned that we needed to fetch some more ice or something.”

Sansa smirked and whispered, “Ready for some more, huh?”

Jon said, “That obvious?”

She nodded and excused them from Cat and the Glovers. “Where to, Mr. Snow?”

“The kitchen’s where you keep the ice, right? Might need to check in the pantry first.”

They were both grinning and holding hands as they headed to the kitchen pantry but, when they opened the pantry door, Sansa let out a shriek. Robb had Margaery propped up against the far wall. Her dress was pushed up to her hips, one of her legs was wrapped around his backside and her hands were in his hair. Robb’s jacket was forgotten on the floor and his pants were around his ankles. Margaery had had her eyes closed and her mouth open when they’d opened the door but when she heard Sansa, Margaery let out a shriek of her own.

“Fuck!” Robb cursed when he whipped his head around and saw them standing behind him.

“Um, yeah. That’s what it looks like to me. Uh, we’ll find another place and leave you to it then,” Jon said and closed the pantry door as Sansa and Margaery both started laughing.

“Come on,” Sansa finally said, “Your room’s not got much use lately. You can help me with _those_ linens.”

As soon as they reached his room, Lady and Ghost whined at the door until Jon finally let them in.

“Don’t give us away, you traitors.”

The dogs came in and laid down on the floor, apparently just happy to be in the room with them. Sansa couldn’t stop giggling about the dogs watching them as they started helping each other undress.

“You’ve got to be quiet, pretty girl. We’re going to get caught,” he whispered.

“Well, let me busy my mouth with something then,” she said as knelt down in front of him on the floor.

“Oh, fuck, Sansa!” he gasped as she put her mouth around his cock.

“Shhhh, darling,” she said as she pulled off of him for a moment, “I thought you didn’t want to get caught.”

She hummed in the back of her throat as she swirled her tongue around the head and then slid further down his shaft with her mouth. She had only done this once before and was certainly still a novice but Jon didn’t know the difference and thought she was perfect. He was trying hard to keep from moaning too loudly as she would slide from his base to his tip sucking him in. She got a little carried away at one point and gagged when she tried to take in too much at once but Jon was just trying to stay up right at the moment. His knees were weak and he was grasping her hair as if it were an anchor keeping him in place.

“Fuck, Sansa,” he said huskily, “you are so hot, sweetheart. Please don’t stop.”

He could feel his peak building rapidly and his balls tightening up. The previous time they’d done this he had finished in his hand because he didn’t want to gross her out but this time when he tried to push her off of him, she grasped his waist and wouldn’t let go.

“Fuck…oh, fuck…Sansa…I’m going to…ah…Ughnnn!”

Jon watched her continue to bob up and down as the last of his seed pulsed into her mouth. He shuddered as she sat back on her knees and swallowed him with a smile. She delicately wiped the corners of her mouth.

“Were you about to say something there?” she asked with a mischievous grin.

He gulped and said, “Uh, whatever it was, I’ve forgotten it.” He pulled her over to the bed and they laid down together on top of the covers. “You are too good for me, you know.”

“No, I’m not. I love you, Jon.”

“I love you. Was that…was it gross?”

“No, not really. It was different…kind of salty. I wanted to do that for you. Margaery said…”

“Okay…stop right there…I don’t want to know what Margaery said right now.” Sansa laughed and he continued, “And, if you bought me a gift, you can take it back. I think I already got my Christmas present.”

They were coming back down the stairs, adjusting each other’s clothes, just as Lyanna had started looking for him. _Whew, close call_.

“I’m ready to go home, dear. It was a long day at work and Sandor had to leave on a call.”

“Alright, Mum. Let me get Ghost and our coats and say good-bye.” He kissed Sansa and said, “I’ve got to finish shopping tomorrow and Mum wants us to do something together tomorrow night but I’ll see you Christmas, pretty girl.”

“See you then,” she smiled.

 

“So, what do you think? Is it too much? Too little? Do you think she’ll like it?” he asked as the jeweler held it out for her to inspect.

“Jon, it’s perfect,” Margaery said with a sigh. “May I try it on?”

“Sure…but you think Sansa will like it?” he asked anxiously again.

“I can pretty much guarantee you happy tears tomorrow when you give it to her,” she answered as she looked lovingly at her hand.

Jon asked the jewelry to wrap it up as he paid off the balance he owed and then offered to get Marg some coffee at the place next door.

“Thanks for coming with me. I didn’t want to ask my mum or Cat because I thought they might freak out over it.”

“It’s fine. I was happy to help plus I love being privy to secrets, especially happy ones.”

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Certainly,” she answered and then laughed at his crestfallen expression. “No! I was kidding and I don’t think you’re crazy. An engagement ring would’ve been crazy but this…this is perfect. Really, it’s very sweet, Jon. I just wish I could be there tomorrow to see her face.”

“Does your family have big plans? I thought maybe you’d be over later with Robb.”

“My parents left for Lys three days ago. They like the festival stuff over there at Christmas.”

“Really?” he asked gently.

“Don’t look at me like that, Jon Snow. It’s alright. Loras and I are used to it. Besides, we’ve got Granny to keep us busy and Loras’s boyfriend doesn’t really get on well with his brothers so he’ll probably be over as well.”

“Does your grandmother cook and bake and all that stuff?”

Margaery just laughed at him for a minute before replying, “I really have to introduce you to Granny someday.”

 

“I hope this was alright, sweetheart,” Lyanna said as they walked out of the movie theater.

“It was fine, Mum. I enjoyed it.”

“This is what I did every Christmas Eve when I wasn’t with you. I wanted to share it with you this time. Not that I’ve always enjoyed sitting alone at the movies on Christmas Eve but it helped occupy my mind for a couple of hours. Anyway, I suck at all the cookie baking and reindeer crap as you well know but I wanted us to be together this year. I’m sorry for all the Christmases I missed with you though.”

Jon hugged his mother and tried to master the emotions that were trying to undo him. “I’m glad to be with you this year, Mum. You want something to eat? Or we could go home.”

“Home sounds good. Okay if we pick up a pizza though? That’s another depressing Lyanna Snow Christmas Eve tradition.”

“Pizza sounds great. Besides, I’m a teenager. There’s absolutely nothing depressing about pizza in my opinion.” Lyanna laughed and hugged him tightly this time. “That was nice what you did earlier, Mum. Taking the treats to the cops.”

“Well, I am trying to think of others for a change and Sandor mentioned that the guys there all love cookies and pastries and such. I hope they didn’t mind that they were all store bought.”

“I don’t think they minded one bit. Come on, I want pizza now. We’ll get tomatoes and spinach on it so it’ll look all Christmas-y.”

 

Christmas morning had the family all back together again at Winterfell. Sandor was working patrol to let more of his men take the holiday off.  Lyanna and Jon arrived at the loud and happy house around 11 o’clock. Edmure’s kids were running around the house screaming like banshees while Rickon and the dogs chased them. Cat was busy cooking with Sansa and Ned’s help while Edmure’s wife, Roslyn, stood around trying to not to be in the way. Theon was busy trying to avoid his father since they rarely got along. Cat said they were too much alike. He had bribed Bran into playing video games with him upstairs. Theon loved his half-siblings but he was 20 and they were all Rickon’s age or younger and they drove him up the wall after a while. Despite the noisy and crowded house, Cat was definitely more relaxed than she had been with the party at least.

 

When the family gathered in the living room to open presents, Jon was stunned to get a new guitar from Ned, Cat and Sansa.

“I didn’t have enough money for it so they let me chip in what I could and pick it out for you. I hope you like it. The man at the shop was really helpful,” Sansa said hopefully.

“I love it,” he said and kissed her.

Once the stack of presents under the tree had been opened, Arya and the boys took the dogs outside to play while the rest of the family moved towards the kitchen to get dinner on the table. Jon grabbed Sansa’s hand and asked her to stay back a minute with him. _Here it goes_. He pulled the small gift-wrapped box out of his pocket when they were alone by the tree. Her eyes got wide as she opened the wrapping to revel the velvet jewelry box inside.

“It’s not as nice as you deserve but I hope you’ll like it.” Sansa opened the box to reveal the gold ring with a small heart-shaped sapphire inside surrounded by tiny diamonds. “I couldn’t afford an engagement ring and our parents would probably have a fit at that anyway. So, I was hoping we could call this a promise ring.” Sansa was just staring at the ring and Jon was suddenly feeling very nervous and uncertain about this whole ring business. But he got down on one knee and took her hand. “Sansa, I love you. I can’t imagine there will ever come a day that I don’t. When we’re older, I’d really like to marry you. Nothing would make me happier. Would you want to…do you think you’d like that, too?”

Sansa sank to her knees in front of him and began to cry. “Oh, yes, oh yes, Jon. I would be thrilled to marry you someday.”

Jon was smiling with relief that she hadn’t laughed at him and that Margaery’s promised ‘happy tears’ were present when they heard soft clapping behind them. Edmure’s 5 year old daughter, Enith, was standing there with a look of rapture on her little face.

“Oh, Sansa! It’s like a fairy tale! Jon’s the handsome prince and you’re the beautiful princess! You’re going to live happily ever after, I can tell.”

Jon laughed and wondered if there would ever be anything like privacy in this house. But then he thought of the day of the party and decided they’d been pretty lucky to have some privacy that day at least.

 

By New Year’s, Edmure and Roslyn and the kids at returned to Riverrun and Jon and Robb decided to take their ladies out on a double date. Robb made reservations at a fancy restaurant that Margaery wanted to try and they all got dressed up for the occasion. Margaery was to spend New Year’s Eve at Winterfell and so would Jon. Cat had asked them to come home before midnight so they could toast the New Year with the family. Sansa was wearing a black dress and her high heels again when she came down the stairs as they were ready to leave.

“I think I know those shoes,” Jon whispered in her ear.

“You do. I might even be wearing some other items you may remember under this dress. But don’t worry, I’m going to put my favorite wooly socks on as soon as we get home tonight.”

Jon groaned with longing as she took his hand and led him to the door, “You are killing me, Sansa Stark.”

The restaurant was bit fancy for their taste but they all had fun laughing together. Jon was happy to see Robb and Margaery having such a good time together. They were good together and obviously happy. Margaery had told Sansa that she’d slept with Robb for the first time a week before the party and quite a few times since then. _No wonder he’s_ _been in such a good mood lately_.

Once they got home, they counted down to New Year’s with the rest of the family and the dogs howled and barked as they cheered. Jon had brought his new guitar over and he played for Sansa in his room until Cat finally told her to head off to bed. He was asleep when Sansa snuck back to his room after 2AM.

“Sansa, I don’t want to get you in trouble. And, I _really_ don’t want to die here either.”

She climbed under the covers leaving her pajamas on and said, “Margaery’s already gone to Robb’s room. I just want you to hold me for a while, okay?” He put his arms around her and kissed her brow. They fell asleep but he woke around 6 o’clock when Sansa was slipping out of the bed to head back to her room.

“I love you, Sansa. Happy New Year,” he whispered.

She leaned over to kiss him. “I love you, too. And Happy New Year to you.”


	20. Unplanned Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches to different characters' point of view.
> 
> There's some family stuff, some angst, some humor and some smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've combined a few of my shorter chapters so this one is a bit longer because it was originally two.

**SANSA-**

 

Sansa only took the ring off to shower and when she slept. She had tried sleeping with it on at first but wound up scratching her face with it in her sleep. Her mother had noticed the ring at once and asked if Jon had given it to her for Christmas. When Sansa said that he had, her mom had smiled and said nothing else. But a few days before school was to start back her mother mentioned the ring again.

“It’s very lovely, Sansa. That was a very thoughtful and, I’m thinking, a very expensive gift,” her mother said.

Her mother’s face was inscrutable as she drove. They were running errands alone together on the frosty January morning and Sansa decided to share their promise with her mother. _I hope she’ll take it well_.

“Sansa! You’re only 16! You’ve only being dating a few months…at most. It’s far too soon to get engaged.”

“We’re not engaged, Mom. It’s more like a promise or a betrothal.”

“A betrothal? What year are we living in, child?”

Sansa narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “Perhaps betrothal is the wrong word,” she sniffed.

Her mother noticed her daughter’s defensiveness and tried a different approach. “Sansa, I thought I was in love with Petyr Baelish when I was 16. How disastrous would it have been for me to form some sort of official attachment with him? Before I even finished high school?”

“Jon is NOT Mr. Baelish, Mother! And, it’s not some ‘official attachment.’ We know what we mean by it. Besides, I’ve known him all my life. He’s not just some boy I just met.”

“Yes, and for a good part of your life you saw him as your brother.”

“Well, that’s not the case now. I love him. I thought you’d be more understanding of this. I don’t believe there’s anyone out there more right for me than Jon. However, engagements are broken off all the time. Marriages end. Why should something like this promise be so upsetting to you?”

Cat sighed and looked at her. “I’m sorry, my love, but you are so young. You’re my daughter and it’s hard to think of you running off to get married.”

“I’m not getting married…not anytime soon. And when I do marry, I’ll always be your daughter even if I’m his wife, you know.”

“Alright, alright…I will respect your feelings. But I’m not sure how well your father will handle this.”

 

A week later, Sansa and Jon were in her bedroom working on their homework. Mr. Baelish still had not returned and there were rumors that he had accepted a temporary transfer to another school for the remainder of the school year. Sansa hoped it was true if only to avoid his creepy presence and to prevent her father from making another scene at the school. They were laying side by side on their stomachs with their heads at the end of the bed when Jon got fed up with his physics assignment. He threw down his pen and leaned towards her. He began nuzzling her neck and tickling her sides.

“Stop it. I’m trying to get my history homework done,” she said trying to suppress her grin.

He wasn’t buying it. He rolled to his side with his head propped up on one elbow and said, “I can think of several things I’d rather do than homework at the moment. They all involve you…but not any clothes.”

_Focus, Sansa_ …She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before saying, “The door is open, Jon, and my mother is just down the hall in Rickon’s room.”

“Alright, I’ll get back to work and let you work…if you give me a real kiss first.”

He was actually pouting at her…with those full, sensual lips of his… _How am I supposed to resist that?_ Sansa dropped her own pen and leaned over to give him what he wanted. Her mouth parted and she could feel his tongue darting over her own as he wrapped one hand around her waist to pull her closer and started running his other hand through her hair.

“Sansa? Jon? Getting your school work done?” Cat stood in the doorway smirking at them.

“Um, yeah, Mom. Sorry.”

“Ned and I want to take you two to dinner Friday night. Are you free?”

_Out to eat with Jon and my parents…Is this supposed to be a double date with my parents? Oh help_.

“We’ve not made any plans,” Jon said.

“Good. Gage’s Café is good if that’s alright with you both. We can just meet you there at 7 o’clock.” They both agreed and Cat left.

“Are we in trouble?” Jon asked half-heartedly.

“I certainly hope not.”

 

Her parents were waiting for them at the café when they arrived. They’d secured a table in a quiet room off the main dining area. No one else was dining in there. Jon was nervous, more nervous than she was. His hand was slightly sweaty as he grasped Sansa’s when they were led to the table. She squeezed his hand and tried to give Jon a reassuring smile but she had butterflies in her own stomach and thought her smile may have looked more pained then anything.

“Here you both are,” her dad was saying with a smile as he stood to greet them. _I feel like I’m about to have a job interview_.

After the greetings, they both sat down at the table and Sansa immediately grabbed her menu and stuck her face in it. It felt like a good place to hide for the moment. Jon had done the exact same thing except his was upside down. When they glanced at each other, they both started to snicker.

“I think we’ve made them nervous, Ned,” her mom said. They both lowered the menus and laughed nervously.

“That was certainly not my intention,” her father said warmly. “We wanted to take you out to dinner tonight because our family dinners are fairly hectic and noisy. We wanted a chance to speak with you both privately about some things. Your mother has told me about your ring, Sansa.”

Sansa darted a look at Jon who looked surprised and started flushing. She hadn’t told him about telling that to her mother and she hoped he wasn’t upset.

But then her father continued, “And I have been considering your request to start working for me, Jon.”

It was Sansa’s turn to look surprised. He hadn’t mentioned looking for a job and certainly hadn’t mentioned working for her father.

Her dad started chuckling, “Perhaps we need to let you two share some things with each other though.”

Jon started talking first, “It’s fine that you told your mother, Sansa. I didn’t mean for the ring and our promise to be a secret. I wanted to talk to you about it, Ned, but I was…well, nervous. It’s part of why I wanted to start working again. The ring and some other expenses have taken a good chunk of my savings and college will be here soon. I can’t keep freeloading off of you.”

“I have never thought that of you, Jon. You have always been willing to work. You worked all last summer and the summer before and I don’t want you to worry about college. Cat and I are determined to take care of that for you just like all of our children,” her dad said.

Sansa felt guilty about her ring all of sudden. “I don’t have to have a ring to be promised to you. I don’t want you spending all your…”

Jon leaned over and took her hand to make her stop talking. “I wanted to give it to you. It was important to me to give it to you. It makes me so happy to see you wear it.”

Sansa smiled at him and Ned cleared his throat and regained their attention.

“Your grades have been very good. You managed to get caught up from all the time off while you recovered. Your entrance exam scores were excellent. So, I was thinking of having you come to my office two days a week after school. You would run errands and such around the office but you can also start learning the business side of things there. Once you turn 18 in February, I’m willing to let you come work at Stark Industries on Saturdays in the factory. You could learn some different skills there, plus it would be a new experience to work with adults in a factory environment. You’ll receive no favoritism at the factory but I know you’d never expect that anyway. The pay isn’t bad. It’s pretty good for a high school student actually but only if you’re interested of course.”

“Yes, I want to do that. Thank you, Ned.”

Her father then looked at Sansa. “You are my daughter and only 16. I am happy that you and Jon are in love and I don’t object to the ring or the promise but I want you both to remember that you are still free to make other choices if your feelings change over the next few years.”

“Yes, Dad.”

 

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly enough, Sansa thought. She was at ease again and Jon seemed to be as well. Naturally, her parents had been at ease the entire time. _I_ _wonder what Lyanna will think of our promise or the possible job for Jon_. The four of them were headed back through the main dining area as they were leaving when a tall, gaunt man stepped up to her father. His was balding and what hair he had left was clipped very short. He wore an easy smile but his eyes were very pale and Sansa thought they did not wear a smile like his mouth did.

“Eddard? It’s been a long time.”

Her father looked uneasy as he shook the man’s hand. “Hello, Roose. It has. You remember Catelyn.”

The man smiled and shook her mother’s hand. Her father did not seem keen to introduce her or Jon as he normally would’ve.

“You must know how terribly I regret what my bastard did to your family. I did send a note,” he said.

Sansa noticed the way his eyes flitted to Jon when he said the word ‘bastard’.

“Yes, I received your note,” Ned said.

“I should’ve just drowned him as a child when his mother brought him to me.  He was always a strange boy and a disappointment,” the man said in the same tone one might discuss swatting a fly. “Bastards can be such a burden.”

_Why does he keep looking at Jon when he uses that word? Does he mean to be rude?_

“However, I had no other children and I couldn’t doubt he was mine. He has my eyes after all.”

Sansa suddenly felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. She gasped and the man looked at her.

“You must be Sansa. I’m Roose Bolton. Don’t look so frightened, child. My bastard will be found soon enough, I’m sure. And you must be Jon Snow, I presume,” he said with strange smile.

“We really must be going,” her mother was saying and clutching Sansa’s hand. Her father had put his arm around Jon’s shoulders. Jon looked pale but she could see the anger building in his eyes.

“Let’s go, son. It’s time to go home,” Ned said and started pulling Jon along with him.

“It was nice to meet you both,” Bolton was saying as they walked out the door.

Sansa felt the same terrible sensation of helpless fear overtake her just as when it had happened. Her chest was constricted and she couldn’t seem to breathe properly. Her heart felt too large to be contained by her ribs. Her shoulders were tense and aching and she felt like she was choking. By the time they reached the parking lot, her vision had narrowed to a small tunnel and she was shaking all over. She tried to remember the exercises Tyrion had taught her for dealing with her panic attacks but her mind seemed determined to shut down. _I’ve not had one in over a month…Why? Why? Why?_ No rational thought was happening, it was just her body reacting to the fear. She felt herself being pushed down to sit on the sidewalk and her head was pressed between her knees. And as her mother continued to hold her in that position and started whispering in her ear, the terror started to recede and she could hear Tyrion’s voice inside her head.

“Calm…center…breathe…you are safe…calm…center….breathe…you are safe.”

She glanced over towards Jon and saw her father was physically restraining him. He was so angry and upset and was obviously trying to go back inside the restaurant. Her father was strong though and his voice was forceful and Jon finally stopped fighting against him.

“Jon, give me your keys,” her father said. “Cat, drive Sansa home in our car. We’ll follow you.”

 

Sansa was sitting in the kitchen the next morning trying to wake up. She’d barely slept and when she did she had dreamed of Ramsey. She was running through a wooded area and he was chasing her. He had hounds with him. They were barking and snarling and Sansa knew if they caught her they would bite and rip and chew her flesh. Sansa shook off the dread from the dream and poured herself some juice. Her parents had left her with Arya.  She had felt physically exhausted after the panic attack and she spent a long time talking with her sister while her parents drove Jon home. He was calmer by the time they’d reached Winterfell but her dad hadn’t trusted him to go on home on his own. He’d driven Jon home in his car and had her mother follow in their car. They had stayed there talking with Jon and Lyanna her mother had told her when they returned home last night. Jon had texted her later to check on her and they’d ended up texting until nearly 3AM. But as long as they were talking to each other, Sansa knew she could face anything.

Robb came into the kitchen whistling to himself as Sansa tried to remember that dreams were just dreams and that neither Roose nor Ramsey Bolton were here with her now. And today was a supposed to be a good day.

“Happy Birthday, Big Brother,” she said sweetly.

“Thanks, Little Sis,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. “So, what’d you get me?”

“You’ll find out later. You’re awfully chipper. I’ll bet I can guess what Margaery gave you last night.”

“Okay…definitely not discussing that with my little sister so I’m going to pretend you didn’t ask. Did you and Jon have fun with Mom and Dad last night?”

“It was okay. Kind of different.” _Really don’t want to go over this right now though so change of topic_. “So, you and Margaery…”

“Alright, Sansa…enough. Or I could always get Mom and Dad to ask you what you and Jon were doing in the backseat of his car the other evening in the school parking lot after the basketball game.” Sansa felt her face flush. “Yeah, you really should be a bit more careful. His windows aren’t that tinted.”

“You’ve made your point, Robb! I won’t ask about your sex life if you won’t ask about mine. But I can’t help what Margaery decides to share,” she finished with a wry grin.

Robb put his hands on his hips and gave her smirk. “How about you make the birthday boy some eggs and sausage and I’ll forget about the other night when you told Mom you were studying in your room. It sure didn’t sound like studying to me,” he countered.

Sansa huffed at him but then asked, “Scrambled or fried?”

 

* * *

 

**JON-**

 

Jon had been as upset by the run in with Roose Bolton as Sansa. His reaction was just different that hers. She had felt fear and he had felt rage. It was still a disturbing and visceral experience nonetheless. Ned had talked to him all the way to Winterfell and then all the way to his house about keeping his cool and not being baited into something foolish but Jon knew his temper, while not as quick as Robb’s, was sometimes hard to control. His mother had been upset by the incident and Jon’s obvious anger so he’d done his best to calm down and not worry her. Texting with Sansa into the early morning hours had helped but left him exhausted. He was glad to see the Sandor the next day when he came over to fix Lyanna’s leaky bathroom sink because he wanted to tell him about it in his own words and see what he thought of Roose Bolton. He was certain that, despite his words, Roose Bolton was very much on his son’s side. He’d also keenly felt the intended sting each time Bolton threw the word ‘bastard’ into the conversation.

“Don’t let that word define you, Jon,” Sandor said from under the counter. “Just because your mother was never married to your father isn’t something you should feel ashamed of. You had no say in the matter. You’re a terrific kid that any parent would be proud of. Hand me that wrench…Thanks. Don’t let strangers, especially fuckers like Roose Bolton, upset you over that sort of thing.”

“Thanks, Sandor…that is, uh…but, I have a hard time believing he’s really interested in Ramsey being caught.”

“I highly doubt he wants that. He went to a lot of trouble a couple of years ago to get Ramsey out of that rape accusation and to hush up the incident with the Tyrell boy as much as he could. I don’t know how much affection he feels for Ramsey but he is his only child. He gave him his name and he doesn’t like seeing the Bolton name dragged through the mud. Of course, Ramsey’s the one who did that but Roose is the sort of man that will place blame on a victim as quickly as he would condemn his son’s behavior. We’ve wondered if Ramsey’s been getting help. He’s been on the run for months now. He didn’t personally have much money of his own. How’s he been evading us this long? Where is he staying? Roose owns a lot of properties in Wintertown and the surrounding areas. He’s not always been cooperative when we’ve asked to conduct searches. He’s insisted on search warrants several times which would give Ramsey plenty of time to flee before we get there. Here, this should get your mum fixed up.”

The big man smiled as he tested his plumbing work and Jon thanked him for his help. He headed to his room and was thinking about Sansa and Bran when Ghost met him at the door with his leash in his mouth. Jon smiled and grabbed his coat to walk his dog and told himself not to waste the day obsessing over the Boltons.

 

Three weeks passed and Jon’s own birthday was drawing nearer. He’d been going to Ned’s office two afternoons a week as agreed and found he liked it there. Ned had introduced him to his attorney, Rickard Hornwood, and Jon found that he was fascinated by all the man had to say about business law and the legal system in general. Ned had noticed and started suggesting colleges with good pre-law programs. One was Riverlands University which of course was Ned and Cat’s alma mater but another was Arryn College in the Vale. The Vale was not as far away as Riverlands. Still a five hour drive but it would mean he could come home some weekends. It was a very prestigious school though and Jon could not be certain of acceptance there. The other colleges Ned had suggested were Kings Landing University in the capitol and the University of Dorne at Sunspear, both of which Jon considered much too far away from Sansa. Last Hearth, where his Uncle Brandon had studied, was only two hours away but had no pre-law program. He puzzled over his choices but knew time was ticking by steadily.

 

The following Saturday night Jon and Sansa were eating at the diner. They had spent the day with their dogs running around the park. Ghost and Lady always got along well and enjoyed playing in the snow. Ghost was nearly invisible in it but Lady was always near him which made him easier to spot. They’d taken the dogs home after wearing them both out and then went to eat. It had been a wonderful day and Jon was glad to share it with Sansa since he knew his Saturdays would soon be spent working at the Stark factory. They were finishing up and deciding if they just wanted to see a movie or just head back to Winterfell when Jon got a text from his mother.

**LYANNA: 7:20PM** I’m sorry for the short notice but I’ve been asked to work overtime tonight. I won’t be getting off till midnight. Let me know if you need anything.

Jon smiled and showed the text to Sansa. Her eyes lit up. “An empty house? An actual bed?”

“What time do I have to get you home by again?”

“10 o'clock…two and a half hours away,” she said.

**JON: 7:22PM** Don’t worry, Mum. I’m good. See you later.

Jon promptly asked for the check.

Jon drove home in record speed and as he ushered Sansa into the house he locked and chained the door behind them.

“I’m going to warn you that I may not last two minutes, let alone two hours.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to last two hours but maybe we'll have time for more than one round, right?” Sansa said with a saucy grin and kicked off her shoes.

“Oh, thank you, God, for overtime,” Jon said as he kicked off his own shoes and pulled off his sweater.

Sansa pulled off her sweater and then her jeans. Then, Jon pulled off his t-shirt and his jeans, so Sansa pulled off her bra.

“Is this some sort of strange follow-the-leader game?” Sansa asked with a laugh.

“If it is, you win,” he replied and pulled her in close.

They fell on the couch and started kissing in just their underwear and socks. Sansa was kissing and biting his neck and stroking his cock when Ghost came over to see what they were doing. He whined when no one was petting him and went to lay down.

“Aw…poor puppy,” Sansa said with a sweet little frown on her face.

“Poor Jon if you stop what you’re doing.”

The underwear went next and they ran down the hall to his room to avoid Ghost’s watching eyes. Jon closed the door to keep a nosy pup out and laid Sansa across his bed. He started kissing and sucking her breasts before he worked his way down to her drenched core to take her with his mouth. She was pulling his hair and her feet were pushing against his back as she screamed out his name with her release. Sansa then made him lay down so she could pleasure him. Jon groaned happily as she worked her tongue up and down, up and down his shaft. His heart was pounding as she kept a delicious steady pace, swirling her tongue around the head before she returned to taking in as much of him as she could. He ran his hands through her silky hair reverently and moaned her name until he felt his peak drawing coming.

“Fuck, Sansa!” he cried as he spurted into her mouth.

His chest was still heaving when she rose up to kiss him, wiping the last trace of cum from her lips.

“I love watching you like that. I love knowing I’m making you come apart,” she said.

“That’s what I love most about doing that to you, too.”

They laid in his bed together and held each other for a while just kissing and caressing each other.

“Is this what it’ll be like when we’re married?” Sansa asked.

“God, I hope so. I can’t imagine how happy I’ll be when I get to lay in bed with you every night, all night and don’t have to sneak in sex where we can. I’d be happy just getting to lay with you all night whether we have sex or not.”

“Truly?”

“Yes, truly.”

Sansa smiled and started kissing him more passionately. He was already getting hard again when she started tugging at him to get on top of her.

“I need to get a condom,” he said and reached in his nightstand drawer.

There was only one left in the box. _Thank you, God!_

“This is much more comfortable in a bed,” she said teasingly.

She was still urging his hips to center over her own. His cock was throbbing as she started stroking his face but then she started kissing and gently biting at his nipples which drove him crazy.

“Shit, Sansa…sweetheart, stop. I don’t want to come yet.”

The packet was sticking to the box like someone had glued it there just to frustrate him and then, once he got it out of the box, the packet itself was refusing to open. Sansa was rocking her hips into his groin and moaning, “Now...now…now…”

He finally gave up using his fingers and ripped it open with his teeth. Sansa helped him slide it on before he entered her with one powerful thrust.

“Oh fuck, JON! YES!!!” she cried with pleasure.

“Sansa! Oh, shit! I can’t…”

He started thrusting wildly into her, completely overwhelmed by her slick tightness around his cock. Jon grunted loudly as his orgasm hit much faster than expected but he was relieved to see that Sansa was almost there. She was bucking against him forcefully.

“Don’t stop!” she cried and he sucked and licked at her nipples while she rode out her own release, her cunt milking every last drop from him.

“Holy fuck! That was amazing,” he gasped when he felt her still beneath him.

Sansa was giggling and kissed him. “Oh my God! Jon, that was incredible.”

They kissed a bit longer while he was still buried within her when Sansa’s eyes suddenly flew open.

“Jon, it feels different...something is different. It feels really wet.”

Jon pulled out and looked down at his softening cock. “OH FUCK!!! Sansa, the condom’s torn!”

 

* * *

**ROBB-**

 

“Oh, fuck. Robb…oh, fuck. Sweet Jesus. Where in the world did you learn that?”

Margaery was panting and had an arm thrown across her face while her other hand idly stroked one of her breasts. She could barely gasp out the words she was so out of breath. Robb smiled smugly and rose up to kiss her mouth.

“I didn’t learn it anywhere,” he said wiping off his beard and mouth. “Not bad for a first timer? I’m thinking you liked it.” _I’m pretty fucking sure you liked it but I’d love to hear it_.

“I loved it! Please, promise me that wasn’t just a once-a-year-on-your-birthday thing.”

He snickered and said, “No way. Now that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting you, I’ll be doing that again. Besides, your birthday isn’t until April.”

Margaery was stroking his beard and her eyes started looking moist.

“Hey, sexy girl. You’re not going to cry now are you?”

Margaery let out a little sob and nodded but then she started laughing. “I love you,” she said all of sudden. Robb’s eyes got wide and he saw Margaery’s face crumple before she covered it again. “Shit! I’ve never said that before to a guy! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…”

“No, Margaery…no! I love you, too. I do. I’m sorry I was slow to respond. I was just surprised and happy and, oh God, Margaery, I love you so much! I’m an idiot for not saying it first…”

“Really?”

“Absolutely…yes…a hundred million times over, I love you.”

 

Margaery and Loras’s parents were out of town…again. They were always flying off to far-away places together, leaving the twins at home with their grandmother, Oleanna. The old lady was quick witted and had a sharp tongue but was a bit hard of hearing and not exactly the best chaperone. Margaery had told Robb that her grandmother was the one who had told her all about sex by the age of 14 and encouraged both her and Loras to find pleasure wherever they could.

“She said life is often filled with pain and sometimes far too short so we should always take every moment of pleasure that comes our way.”

So, when Robb came over to the Tyrell’s house, Oleanna had actually encouraged them to go upstairs to Margaery’s room.

“Don’t let me stand in the way of young love, dears. He’s far too handsome to let this one go, girl.”

_I’ll have to send the old lady some flowers or something_ , Robb had thought that first time.

Margaery had her head across his chest while his arm was wrapped around her slowly stroking her back with his fingers. He glanced over at the clock. It was just a little after 9:00PM and now that he was 18, his mom relaxed his curfew on the weekends to midnight. _Plenty of time still_. Margaery had never had any sort of curfew. She said her parents didn’t seem to care too much about parenting and Robb felt bad for her and Loras but didn’t say anything.

Out of nowhere she sighed and asked, “Did you love Jeyne?”

Robb was a bit surprised by the question but he answered, “Yeah. Well, I thought I did. I liked her a lot while we were dating before but after we broke up I convinced myself it was love. But then by the time we had sex, things had changed and I realized that it wasn’t really love I felt anymore. Does that make any sense?”

“A bit, I guess. I was jealous of her. I wanted you so much all last school year. I’m sorry about what I did at the party last year though. I didn’t want to hurt you or her really. I just wanted you to like me and want me.”

“You didn’t make me kiss you.”

“You were drunk. I was slutty. The odds were stacked against you.”

Robb laughed and hugged her tighter. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. I love you, Margaery.” And in another minute he said, “You said you’d never told a guy you loved him before. Have you ever been in love though?”

“No. The first guy I ever slept with was pissed that I wouldn’t say it back to him after we’d had sex the first time. But, I couldn’t lie about that. I knew I didn’t love him. I knew it was a mistake before it was even over…and it was over quickly, mind you. He called me names and then never spoke to me again.”

“I’m sorry,” Robb said as he stroked her cheek with his free hand.

“Don’t be. He wasn’t my last mistake.”

_I don’t want to know, do I? Okay, I sort of do_ … “Uh…how many mistakes?”

Margaery looked at him for a moment. “Four others…oh, God, are you going to hate me now?”

“No! No, Margaery. Uh, it’s okay. I mean…I was just curious and…wait, do you mean to tell me that you’ve been with five other guys and none of those assholes ever did what I just did to you?”

Margaery smiled and said, “No. No one has ever loved me or made love to me like you do, Robb. And, just for the record…they were all assholes that treated me like shit and they all had teeny-tiny cocks, too.”

They were both still laughing when Margaery’s phone started ringing. “It’s Sansa. She wouldn’t call this late if it wasn’t important.”

Margaery bolted up in bed after less than a minute on the phone. Robb could hear Sansa crying.

“What’s wrong?” he asked but Margaery just batted at his shoulder and shushed him.

“Calm down, sweetheart! It can happen…You’re on the pill, right?...What do you mean you’re not on the pill!?...Honey, you two are having sex _all the time_. You need some back up!...Alright, I know that doesn’t help at the moment...When was your last period?...What do you mean you don’t know?!...Sansa, darling, you’ve got to keep track of this shit!...Is that Jon I hear in the background? He sounds like he’s in worse shape than you…How much got in do you think?...Alright, I know it can be hard to tell…”

Robb grabbed his phone and texted Jon.

**ROBB: 9:14PM** WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON????

“Robb! Sansa says to leave Jon alone. He’s already a mess.”

**ROBB: 9:15PM** "If you’ve knocked up my sister, I’m going to kick your ass!

“ROBB! Stop it! You’re not helping this situation and you’re giving your best friend a heart attack. Sansa, honey...go home, take a hot bath and relax. I want you to figure out when your last period was and then meet me at The Arbor for brunch tomorrow…11 o’clock after church, alright?...Okay, good. I’ll see you then…and tell Jon to calm down, too!”

Margaery hung up and glared at him. He put his phone down and looked a bit chagrined.

“She’s probably going to be just fine. The condom broke. It can happen. Don’t make them feel worse about it, alright?”

“Sorry…big brother instincts are hard to ignore.”

Margaery smiled and leaned over to kiss him. “That’s okay. It’s sweet. Now, we weren’t finished yet, were we?” she purred.

_No, not even close to finished yet_.

 

* * *

**SANSA-**

 

Sunday morning arrived and Sansa was standing outside The Arbor waiting for Margaery and feeling like a fool. She had avoided being alone with Robb all morning but felt his eyes on her throughout the service. The Starks didn’t attend church regularly but Sansa had asked her mother about meeting Margaery after church that morning and Cat was immediately ordering the household to get up and get ready. Jon had sworn a dozen times on the ride home last night that he’d marry her at once if she was pregnant. He had said all the sweet and perfect things he could but all Sansa really wanted right now was to NOT be pregnant. She wanted them to have a family someday but not now. She knew she was nowhere near ready for that kind of responsibility.

Sansa had spent nearly an hour last night staring at the calendar, trying to remember different events that might help her pinpoint her cycle. Her best guess was it had been about three weeks since her last period. She thought that was good but she honestly wasn’t certain. She wasn’t always regular either. Margaery arrived and they went in to get seated and hit the buffet. Sansa picked at two strawberries and part of a roll. Her stomach was queasy just looking at food.

_Crap! Could this be morning sickness?_ Margaery laughed when Sansa asked that.

“I don’t think it hits that soon, honey. You really need to calm down. I think you’re going to be fine from what you’ve told me but I got you something.” She handed over a brown paper bag. Sansa peeked inside and blushed.

“A pregnancy test?”

“Yes. In one week, I want you to take the test. It’s pretty simple. You’ll be hoping for just one line, okay? One week. If you don’t get your period a week after that, use the second one.”

“A week? Two weeks?” she whispered vehemently. “Margaery…I can’t wait that long. I need to know now!”

“I know you _want_ to know right now but it doesn’t work that way. You’re just going to have to wait.”

Sansa sighed and was thankful she hadn’t started crying at least. “Thanks, Marg…for everything. I was so embarrassed when I realized you were with Robb last night. Sorry if I interrupted your evening with my nervous breakdown.”

“You were fine. Your brother was freaking out a bit but I managed to distract him.”

Sansa relaxed enough to eat some quiche and a lemon cake and Margaery told her about things with Robb and that they were in love.

“Anyone could see that,” Sansa said.

“Well, maybe,” Margaery said, “but it was good to say to him and to hear it said back.”

“Margaery, do you think Robb and Jon talk about their sex lives with each other like this?”

“Yes and no. I think they talk some but not as candidly as we do. I also think Robb doesn’t really want to hear too much about your sex life. Just like you turned three shades of red when I told you about what he did last night.”

Sansa coughed on her lemon cake and said, “Yeah, that’s a bit awkward.”

“Sansa, you need to consider the pill. It’s not for everyone but keep in mind that slip ups can happen, especially when you’re as active as you and Jon are. And, your mom is great. You should talk to her about this. I’ll come with you if you want.”

“Thanks. I think I can manage talking to Mom about it. She’s going to freak. She was freaked out about the ring. A pregnancy scare may push her over the edge but I’m hoping she’ll be understanding.”


	21. Welcome to Adulthood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> Jon turns 18 and has some new experiences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter and mostly character development for Jon with a bit of relationship stuff. And I just really wanted to include some more of the characters from the Nights Watch.

Sansa’s period arrived on Jon’s 18th birthday in February. Sansa had whispered the news to him at school that morning.

“So, not the present you may have been hoping for but…”

Jon laughed and said, “No, Sansa. Under the circumstances, this present suits me fine.”

They both heaved a huge sigh of relief. Cat had freaked out a bit and had made Sansa an appointment with her gynecologist but she ultimately had been understanding with her daughter and had not castrated Jon as he had feared. He sincerely hoped she hadn’t discussed the matter with Ned…and hoped she never would.

 

That night, Lyanna had made dinner at home for his birthday and invited the Starks over as well as Sandor, Margaery, Sam and Pyp. Their house was a bit small to host such a large group but Jon and Robb had set up a couple of card tables in the living room so everyone had a place to sit. Lyanna had baked a large cake and Jon whispered to Sansa after he blew out the candles that he’d already got his wish.

“That I’m not pregnant, you mean?” she asked.

“No, not that. I’ve got you…that’s the only thing worth wishing for.”

Lyanna had been clucking over him like a mother-hen all during dinner and cake time which was a bit annoying but he was doing his best to be patient.

 _How many of my birthdays has she actually been around for? 5? I guess 6 if you count my first_.

They’d been attending therapy with Tyrion together for some time now and things were continuing to improve between them. Lyanna was doing individual therapy as well. And, Jon had realized that while they had not been together a terribly long time, Sandor’s presence was an important part of what was keeping her together. Jon had grown used to him being around the house and sometimes things were better between him and Sandor than between him and his mother. Jon was dreading the trip to Dorne in March in a way though. Sandor wouldn’t be going and he was worried how his mother would behave without him there in a different place with other people, one of those people being his father. Jon was still having his own doubts about this upcoming meeting with his father after two polite but very awkward phone conversations. The only positive thing about the trip in Jon’s mind at the moment was that Sansa would be with him.

 

Jon, Sansa, Robb, Margaery, Sam and Pyp had all retreated to his room as soon as they decently could. Sansa and Margaery were laying on the bed while the guys all found space on the floor. The talk had turned to college. Sam had already received an acceptance letter from Horn Hill where his father wanted him to go but he was waiting to hear back from the College of the Citadel where he truly wanted to go. Pyp had applied at Last Hearth and the College at Castle Black but hadn’t received any responses yet. Jon and Robb had both applied at Riverlands University and had been accepted already. When Jon mentioned he had applied at Arryn College as well, Robb voiced his surprise.

“I thought we’d go to Riverlands together. What am I supposed to do if you’re not there?”

“I don’t know…study, maybe?”

“Funny, asshole. It’s not going to be the same if you’re not there. Plus, Margaery’s got another year of high school. I’ll be all alone there.”

“Yeah, Sansa’s got another year to go, too, you know. Arryn College is closer to home. I just thought it would be a good fit for me and their pre-law program’s supposed to be the best.” Robb was looking like Jon had just told him to take his action figures and go home because they couldn’t be friends anymore so Jon continued, “I thought we’d go to the same school, too. But I want to be closer to home if possible…for Sansa. I may not get in. Riverlands is still my second choice.”

Robb was not mollified though so Margaery tactfully suggested they go play cards in the living room to defuse the tension. Later, when many of the guests had left, Sansa and Jon were sitting on the couch in the living room together.

“You didn’t mention applying at Arryn to me either,” she said quietly.

“I’m not confident I’ll get accepted. Besides, it’s three hours closer to home. I thought you’d like that.”

“Well, that’d be great for next year but what about the year after?”

“Oh…I guess I didn’t think that far ahead. Are you thinking of going to Riverlands then?”

“Well, they do have a good dance program which I’m interested in, plus I’ve been thinking about Interior Design as a major which they offer. And, my uncle lives nearby which might be nice…plus, my brother would be there and I _thought_ my boyfriend would be there, too.”

“Shit, Sansa. I didn’t think about it like that. I’m sorry. If you go there and I’m in the Vale, we’ll be more ten hours away from each other. I’ll just go to Riverlands, too.”

“No, Jon. If they accept you, I want you to go to the best possible school. You’ll be the best lawyer in Westeros, I just know it. I just…I wouldn’t want for things to change between us…over such a long distance.”

“Me, either. You’re more important to me than anything else, Sansa. I couldn’t stand to lose you.”

 

A few weeks later, Jon was heading to Stark Industries for work on a chilly Saturday in early March. Winter was not ready to give up its hold on the North yet and a snow storm was expected the next day. This would be Jon’s third Saturday at the factory and he hoped it would be an improvement over the last two. His supervisor, Mr. Thorne, apparently hated him on sight. Jon felt like a complete idiot the first day when one of the other workers tossed a box of parts to him to carry to the factory floor and he dropped it. It had been a bad toss but, as countless metal springs went flying a dozen different directions, Jon had taken the brunt of the blame.

“Well done, Snow. You’ll need to pick all those up. There’s 1000 to a box and every last one needs to be found,” Thorne said with a sneer.

 _Keep your cool. Don’t let Ned down acting like a child over this_.

Another man came over to help. “Don’t take it to heart, kid. Thorne’s a hard ass with all new hires.”

“Thanks. I’m Jon Snow.”

“Yeah, I know who you are. I’m Edd Tollett.”

With Edd’s help it had only taken 45 minutes to find all 1000 springs at least.

 

His second Saturday hadn’t gone much better. Thorne liked to ride his ass about being too slow on the line but when Jon managed to do something well he didn’t seem anymore pleased with him. When his lunch break finally arrived, Edd invited him to sit with him. Jon was grateful. The first Saturday he hadn't had time for a lunch break because of the spring incident. Edd was 28 and had been working at the factory for 5 years after a stint in the military. He was divorced with a rather gloomy outlook and a dark sense of humor.  Jon liked him though.  As they sat together talking, another man that seemed to hate Jon on sight walked by their table.

“What’re you doing sitting with Stark’s bastard, Tollett?”

“Fuck off, Slynt,” Edd replied dourly. “Why don’t you go stick yourself back up Thorne’s ass? He’s probably missing his favorite hemorrhoid.” The ugly, bald man shuffled off and Jon asked Edd what Slynt had meant by calling him ‘Stark’s bastard’. Edd looked around before answering, “Most of the guys here have heard about Stark’s kids and Jon Snow. Somebody started the rumor a few years ago that you were actually his bastard by his friend’s little sister and that’s why you were part of the family.”

Jon could feel his cheeks getting hot as his hands started to shake. “I am _not_ Ned’s bastard. He’s been like a father to me but he’s not my father.”

“Don’t let it get to you, Jon. Most of them are going to be jealous of you. Mr. Stark treats you like his son. You’ve lived in his fine house. You’ll be heading off to college in the fall, right? It’s bound to breed some animosity with some of these guys.”

“You’re not treating me that way.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a glutton for punishment,” the older man said.

 

Today at the factory hadn’t started off any better. One of the machinists, Rast, had bumped into Jon as he was carrying a load of finished parts to the forklift.

“Ooohhh. Sorry about that, Snow,” he said with a shitty grin. Jon just knew from his look that Rast had ‘bumped into’ him on purpose.

 _Don’t rise to the bait. If you blow your top, Ned will think you can’t handle yourself_. Jon knelt to pick up the parts. _At least, there’s only 20 instead of a 1000_.

“Snow! What the fuck are you doing? Can’t you manage to hold onto anything besides your own cock, boy?”

“Alister, what’s all this?” Jon looked around when he heard the voice and saw Ned standing behind Thorne.

“Nothing, Mr. Stark. Your boy’s clumsy is all. We didn’t expect to see you on a Saturday.”

Ned came over and knelt down next to Jon. “Is that all there is to it, Jon?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah, Ned. I’m fine. Thanks.”

At lunch, Edd sat next to him again and another man, Yoren, joined them. “You didn’t say anything about Rast to Mr. Stark,” Yoren said.

“No, I didn’t think it would help matters for me here to go complaining. It’s not like I could prove he did anything on purpose anyway.”

“Probably not. But it would’ve been tempting to call Rast out to Mr. Stark. It takes a lot of maturity to just let things go sometimes,” Yoren said. He was older than Edd, over 40 at least.

“See I told you the kid was fine,” Edd was saying.

“Yeah, I think you’ll do alright here,” Yoren said as he patted Jon’s shoulder and headed off.

 

When Jon got home that night, he was sore and exhausted. Robb had texted and asked him to come watch soccer with him but he’d told him he was beat. He wanted to see Sansa but she and Margaery had made plans and he wasn’t sure he wanted to do anything but sleep at the moment anyway.

 _I’ll see her tomorrow at least. Just two more weeks until spring break…I’ll enjoy the time off from school and work at least_.

Sandor and Lyanna were in the kitchen and his mother called out to him, “Dinner is almost ready, sweetheart. Go wash up and get changed.”

Jon headed straight to his room. Ghost was laying on his bed and whined when Jon collapsed next to him. He barely registered his mother brushing his hair out of his face and trying to get him to come to dinner.

“Let the boy rest, Lyanna.”

The door closed and Jon slept on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapters...time to meet Rhaegar.


	22. Targaryen and Martell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Sansa travel to Dorne to meet his father. Lyanna's intentions are questioned.

Kings Road Airport was crowded as Lyanna, Jon and Sansa made their way through the gate to board their flight to Sunspear. They had already said their goodbyes to the Starks and Sandor. The flight would take around three hours and they’d be arriving in Dorne in the early afternoon. Sansa was still teary from her goodbyes and Jon was concerned that perhaps she was regretting the decision to come with him. He couldn’t promise a fun and exciting trip since he honestly had no idea what to expect once they reached their destination. His mother had already popped in her earbuds and was flipping through a magazine with restless energy. Jon sat between his mother, a barely contained bundle of excitement, and Sansa, looking forlorn and homesick already. He looked past Sansa out the window. It was grey out this morning… _grey and uncertain_.

 

Lyanna had been excited and talkative from the moment they got up that morning. Jon wanted his mother to be happy but he feared that this might be what Tyrion would call a bit _too happy_. A false kind of happiness that was nearly too much to bear and couldn’t possibly last. He had talked to Tyrion about his fears regarding this trip and his concerns over his mother and the trip. He hoped he was just being a bit paranoid.

 

They had driven to Winterfell that morning in his car. Cat was making them a large breakfast to see them all off. Ghost shot Jon reproachful looks all the way over in the car.

“You’ve always liked being there before. Why are you looking at me like that?” _I swear that dog can read my mind. He seems to know he’s getting dumped for the week_.

The house had been noisy that morning as always. Surrounded by his family, Jon wondered why he was making this journey at all. Part of him wanted to go hide in his room and beg them to leave him here. _Don’t be such a coward. Meet the man…just like_ _Robb said, you don’t have to live with him._

 

As the plane started heading down the runway, Sansa grasped his hand tightly. Jon brought her hand up to his mouth for a kiss.

“Are you sorry your coming?” he asked.

“No…I just don’t like flying,” she confessed.

He smiled and said, “It’ll be alright. I’m right here next to you.”

“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?”

“No, but I may be afraid later.”

“I’ll be right here next to you,” she said with a small smile.

 

They landed in Dorne three hours later at Martell International Airport. It was much larger than Kings Road. Sansa said she didn’t think she had ever seen so many people in one place before and Jon had to agree with her.

“Your father said he was going to send a car,” Lyanna said craning her neck around as they exited the baggage claim area.

“Over there maybe?” Sansa pointed to a chauffeur in a black suit holding a sign that said **SNOW**.

Lyanna went over to speak with the man while Jon struggled with his bag and his mother’s three large suitcases. _Is she planning to move here?_ Sansa grabbed one bag from him to try and help.

“Oh, good.” Lyanna said walking back over to them. “Thank you, Jon and Sansa. This is your father’s driver. He’s going to take us to the Water Gardens, the family house. It’ll take about an hour to get there. It’s by the sea. Your father is waiting for us there.”

 

It was nearly 4 o’clock in the afternoon on the March day and it was hot. Jon had never experienced this kind of heat before having lived in the North all of his life and never having traveled further south than Riverrun. It had been warm there in June but this was hot…really hot. Jon could feel sweat rolling down his collar and his back. His beard was driving him nuts. _I should have packed more summer clothes. At least the car is air-conditioned_. He looked out the window of the luxury car they were riding in at the landscape. It was dry and desolate looking. There was plenty of sand and rocky brown hills with cacti and here and there some pitiful-looking brush. Sansa was absorbed in looking out of the window as well but occasionally she’d glance at him with a smile or look down and check her phone. Jon was facing backwards and across from Sansa. His mother was chattering happily about this landmark she knew or that place she had once visited but Jon couldn’t seem to focus on much she said. He was nervous. He watched Sansa and then looked out the window willing himself to stay calm.

 

As they got closer to their destination, the landscaped changed for the better. There were palm trees and strange spikey shrubs Jon had never before seen. There were also bushes filled with large flowers in several different shades. It no longer looked so desolate, still dry but definitely more like the tropics Jon had imagined from seeing pictures and watching movies. The people he saw on the streets as they passed were mostly olive-skinned and had dark hair. The homes grew finer and there were green lawns behind high fences.

_I’ll bet it costs a fortune to maintain a lawn like that down here. Wow, Edd’s really starting to rub off on me if I’m worrying about things like the water bill for houses I’ll never set foot in_.

Sansa interrupted his thoughts when she gasped and said, “The sea!”

Jon twisted his neck around to look and sure enough, there was the Narrow Sea. It didn’t look anything like it did the couple of times the Starks had taken him to White Harbor as a child. White Harbor was truly a harbor with very little beach and that beach was rocky and had dark grey sand. And the sea at White Harbor was always choppy. The water had been cold there even in summer. He and Robb and Arya had loved playing in the surf, splashing and shoving one another under the water, until Cat finally decided they were close to succumbing to hypothermia and would insist they get out. Sansa had usually stayed on the shore, not caring for the cold water and rough play. Here the sea was turquoise blue and looked tranquil…from a distance anyway. The sand was a warm tan color. _I’ll bet the water would be warm, too. Maybe Sansa will like it here_.

 

The car rolled along close to the sea following a twisting road and down into a small valley. At the bottom sat the largest house Jon had ever seen. It couldn’t really be called a house or even a mansion like Winterfell. It was a palace. It was three stories of white marble with large columns and a fountain in front roughly the size of the pool at the country club. Just as Jon was wondering if the driver had made a mistake, the car pulled up the driveway to the front entrance and stopped. A male and female servant waited for them at the door. The man was bald and portly and stepped forward to introduce himself.

“My name is Varys and I am Mr. Targaryen’s butler. You must be Ms. Snow?” he asked as he greeted Lyanna.

“Yes, I am. This is my son, Jon Snow, and his friend, Sansa Stark.”

_Friend? What does she mean by that exactly?_

Jon glanced over at Sansa but if she thought his mother’s introduction of her was odd, she didn’t show it.

“Very good,” the man, Varys, continued, “Dorea here will escort you ladies to your rooms where you can freshen up and I will be happy to escort Mr. Snow to his room.”

Jon followed the butler as his mother and Sansa followed the maid. His room was quite airy and comfortable. There was a small balcony and he could see the sea from it. The heat was not so oppressive this close to the sea with the breeze. Out back was nothing but gardens and fountains from the house to the beach. _It’s enormous. You could get lost wandering through all those paths_. He wondered where his mother had stayed when she traveled to Dorne last year. He didn’t think she’d been here before for she surely would’ve mentioned it.  Jon washed his face and changed into some lighter clothing, a white cotton button-down and some summer-weight khakis. Varys returned to escort him to his father. _So, here we go_. They were joined by Sansa and his mother and headed to another wing of the house. His mother was wearing a navy blue dress and heels. Jon couldn’t even remember the last time he saw his mother dressed up. She’d put her shoulder-length brown hair in a bun. Sansa had changed as well into a pale yellow sundress with white polka-dots and sandals. She’d braided her hair and it hung over her left shoulder and ended just below her breast. He was pleased to see her ring still on her finger as well. He clasped hands with her and she gave him an encouraging smile. _I can do this_.

Varys led them down a long hall way filled with portraits and busts but Jon was not really taking it in. His heart had started hammering in his chest again. A pair of double doors stood at the end of the hall and Varys opened one and bid them to enter. The room was large and blissfully cool. Grey marble covered the floor and the walls were painted a soft blue. Two sofas and a large desk dominated the room. Two men stood in front of the desk, both wearing suits. One had light blond hair and the other was obviously his father. He looked to be near 50 but still quite fit and handsome. He had black hair like Jon’s though it was greying at the temples and a moustache. His eyes were dark but friendly. He wore an easy smile as if he had a secret that only he knew.

“Rhaegar,” his mother said and then to Jon’s utter astonishment the blond man stepped forward to embrace his mother and give her a kiss on the cheek. She took his hand and led him over to him.

“This is Jon, your son.”

Jon tried to conceal his surprise as he glanced once more at the dark haired man before looking more closely at the man in front of him. His father looked to be in his mid-40s. His hair was more silver than blond Jon realized when he looked more closely and it hung down to his shoulders. His eyes were the strangest shade of indigo. _He has purple eyes…who has purple eyes?_ He was handsome in a way but not as traditionally handsome as the other man. There was a sharpness to his features. Jon couldn’t really see any of himself in the man.

“Hello, Jon. It’s very nice to finally meet you. I’m Rhaegar Targaryen…your father.” His voice was clipped with the accent Jon associated with the capitol more than Dorne. Jon wondered what greeting would be appropriate and decided to extend his hand to shake.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” They shook and Jon gestured for Sansa to come forward. “This is my girlfriend, Sansa Stark.”

Rhaegar shook Sansa’s hand and said kindly, “It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Stark.” He turned and gestured to the man Jon had thought was his father. “This is Oberyn Martell, my brother-in-law. This is Lyanna Snow, Oberyn, who you may remember from long ago.”

The darker man moved forward to shake hands with him and Lyanna but, when he moved to Sansa, he took her offered hand and lifted it up to his mouth to kiss with a seductive smile that made Jon feel a sudden rush of annoyance. He spoke with a distinct Dornish accent.

“It is lovely to see you again Ms. Snow. You may not remember me but we met once. It is nice to meet you, Jon, and you, Miss Stark.”

“Martell?” Lyanna was saying. “Like the airport?”

“Yes, my family has been in Dorne for many centuries. We were once the royal family of Dorne years ago when Dorne was a principality and not part of the government of Westeros. Our family was honored to be acknowledged with the airport.” Oberyn looked back at Sansa. “Tell me, lovely girl, is your father Eddard Stark?”

“Yes, he is, Mr. Martell.”

“Excellent. Please call me, Oberyn, dear child” he said as he looked over at Rhaegar with a smile that seemed to communicate something between the men.

 

The next twenty minutes were exceedingly awkward as Jon and his father attempted to make small talk. Lyanna’s nervous excitement from earlier seemed to have faded and she appeared to be a bit out of her depth once the introductions were out of the way. She sat on the sofa watching Jon and Rhaegar together but said nothing.

_You could help with this a bit, Mum. You know both of us better than we know each other_.

Sansa had moved over to the large window behind the desk to look out at the sea.

“Do you like the sea, Miss Stark?” his father asked noticing Jon watching her.

“Yes. I mean, I think I will like it here. It’s beautiful. Much different than White Harbor.”

“Have you ever done any sailing, Miss Stark?” Oberyn was asking now.

“No, never at sea and please call me Sansa.  We’ve done some boating around my mother’s family home in the Riverlands but only on the river there.”

“Oh, then perhaps you’ll allow me to take you all out sailing while you are here,” Oberyn said.

His father turned his attention back to Jon and asked, “You’ve spent a good deal of time with the Starks, I believe, Jon?”

He barely had time to nod before Lyanna jumped in to add, “Yes, it was difficult being a single mother and the Starks were good enough to have helped me out a bit.”

_Helped out a bit? How about practically raised me?!_

Jon knew he hadn’t done a good job concealing his incredulous expression when he saw his father and Oberyn watching him.

“Yes,” Oberyn said, “Mr. Stark seems like quite a helpful man. His parents took you in at 13 when your own parents died, I believe.” Lyanna started to nod and Oberyn continued, “And the Starks have helped raise your son. In fact, it would appear that there are people up that way that thought Jon had been adopted by the family even, raised as a brother to Mr. and Mrs. Stark’s own children.”

His mother’s smile suddenly became rather forced. It appeared to be more of a grimace as she said, “I’ve had issues of my own to deal with. Ned and Cat have been quite kind to take such care of Jon.”

“Yes,” Oberyn said, “issues of your own…as you say. It seems the Starks have taken care of your son, raised him, provided for him and even paid for the house you are living in, Ms. Snow. Forgive me for asking but what is it exactly that you hoped for when you contacted Rhaegar to inform him of this son that you had never mentioned before, especially so soon after my sister’s passing. Why not mention this child when he was still a child?”

Lyanna dropped all pretense of a smile at that and turned to his father. “Rhaegar…What is the meaning of this? You said you wanted to meet Jon. It took me months to convince him to come and now it seems I’m being accused of something.”

Jon observed his father’s questioning expression and the rather hard look in Oberyn’s eyes at the moment as they both looked at his mother.

_They think she’s some gold-digger looking for a payday and I’ve been trotted down here to make the sell_.

He suddenly felt ill and tried to think of how Ned would want him to behave. “Excuse me,” he said as he stood and swiftly left the room but Sansa was close behind him.

“Jon, wait. Please wait for me.” He slowed enough for her to catch him. “I don’t know what all that was supposed to mean…please, look at me, my love.”

Jon looked at her, trying to deal with his irritated and helpless feelings. He tried to ignore the lump forming in the throat. _I am not going to cry over these people_. Sansa stroked his face and looked him in the eye, willing him to be calm.

“It’ll be alright. We are together. If they’re going to be awful, we can just catch the next flight home but try and give them a fair chance. I don’t think he wasn’t accusing _you_ of anything.”

Jon leaned his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. _I was right to bring her. I would never make it through this without her by my side_. He heard footsteps approaching and saw his father.

“Please, Jon, forgive Oberyn. He is not just my brother-in-law but my attorney. He was suspicious of your mother’s motives. I would never have allowed him to be in the room for our first meeting if I thought he would speak so though. I’m sorry. I do want to get to know you and you, too, Miss Stark. I never knew of your existence until your mother came down here six months ago. If I had known, I would’ve done everything I could to see to your care and comfort. I really don’t want to miss the opportunity to get to know you. Your mother says such wonderful things about you. I hope you will give me that chance. Oberyn is a good friend, a good brother but it was his sister I wronged when I was with your mother. He’s not forgotten that and perhaps feels it’s his place to question your mother. I don’t question her though. Our time together was not very long but I feel I understand her well enough. Money is not something that she spends much time thinking about and I would be the last to accuse her of coming here out of monetary interest.” Rhaegar let out a long breath, “I understand if you’re offended. I hope you’ll give us both another chance. I would like to introduce you to my other children. But for now, would you consent to having dinner with me tonight?”

Jon looked at Sansa, who gave him a supportive smile, and said, “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry if Rhaegar and Oberyn come off as jerks. That's not really my intention. But it is an awkward thing for Jon meeting his father for the first time, especially at his age, and Rhaegar is in an awkward position, too. I love Oberyn's character and I thought he would be rather protective of his brother-in-law in this situation. And he's not going to be making any real moves on Sansa. He's just a bit of a flirt but it will make Jon a little jealous at times. Things will thaw some over the next few chapters. There's four more chapters set in Dorne but I may choose to combine a couple as I edit.
> 
> Second, it's no secret really to tell you that Lyanna will struggle with her relationships while in Dorne. 
> 
> Thirdly, I chose Varys to be the butler just because his voice and mannerisms on the show make me think of a butler sometimes. Obviously, that Varys is a highly intelligent and, at times, devious character. This Varys is just a butler so don't pin any hopes on the master of whispers doing exciting things in this tale.
> 
> And finally, for any of you that are living in fear of Ramsey popping up on the beach one morning or something, breathe easy...he's not in Dorne.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	23. Dinner and Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon has dinner with his mother and father.
> 
> Jon's POV

“I want her there, Mum. I told you I would only come here if Sansa came with me. Because I want to be with _her_ and I _need_ her by my side. Dinner is no exception.”

Lyanna let out a huff and rolled her eyes at him before employing a more placating manner, “Jon, your father wants to get to know you. I think it would be better if it’s just you and I that dine with him tonight. You can be with Sansa tomorrow. Your friend was understanding when I explained it to her.”

“Why are you doing that?! Why are you belittling our relationship? My feelings for Sansa? She’s not just a ‘friend’. She’s my girlfriend and I love her. We’ve been having sex for several months now as you are well aware. She means everything to me. I’ve asked her to marry me. I want her to be my wife someday.”

“So, your entire future is set in stone because you gave her a ring?” she asked. Then, she continued in a tone that sounded like she was trying to calm a toddler throwing a tantrum, “Sweetheart, you are far too young to talk of marriage…”

“Says the woman who’s never been married.” Jon froze as soon as he realized the words had actually passed his lips. _Shit, I probably shouldn’t have said that_.

Lyanna had not taken the news of the ‘promise ring’ half as well as Ned and Cat had but he hadn’t expected it to be a real issue between them. She hadn’t even mentioned it during their sessions with Tyrion and had barely mentioned it at all once she got past her initial blow-up. Now, Jon wondered if the reason for that was that she was hoping it was something that would be forgotten over time…like a child that eventually got bored with a new toy. _She’ll be disappointed if she’s hoping for that then_.

And now, she looked angry. They’d been here only a few hours, he was getting ready to ‘dine’ with his father that he had just met, his mother was angry at him and, to top it all off, she had apparently managed to run Sansa off for the night. But, before Lyanna managed to say anything about his saucy reply though, there was a knock at the door. Varys had arrived to escort them to dinner. Lyanna pasted a smile back on her face and came over to take his arm.

“What did you say to Sansa, Mum?” Jon asked darkly as Varys led them down the grand marble staircase.

“Only that I thought you deserved a chance to get to know your father tonight without her distracting you. I asked Dorea to see that she had anything she wanted. Sansa didn’t seem to mind.”

Jon pulled out his phone and texted Sansa, ignoring his mother for the moment as she snapped at him to put his phone away.

 **JON: 6:59PM** I wanted you with me. I’m sorry if Mum was rude to you.

 **SANSA: 7:00PM** It’s alright. She was pretty clear that I was not welcome tonight but I'm not upset. Oberyn has invited me to dine in the gardens with him. I love you.

 _Christ. I’ve got to face them both alone and that guy is entertaining Sansa_.

 

Varys led them to a large, formal dining room. _More marble…and looks like it could seat 100. Real cozy for getting to know you, Father_.

Rhaegar smiled when he saw them enter. He was wearing the same button-down shirt and dress pants as earlier but had lost the jacket and tie at least. Rhaegar ushered them to their seats. He sat at the head of the table with Lyanna on his right and Jon on his left. He rang a bell and two servants appeared; one with glasses and a wine bottle and the other with bowls of soup on a tray.

“First course,” Rhaegar smiled.

_He actually rang a bell…like in one of those old movies. Who does that? First course? How many will there be?_

“Wine, Lyanna?” Rhaegar asked as the footman offered up the bottle.

“Yes, please.”

Rhaegar watched with pleasure as the wine was poured for Lyanna and himself and then asked, “For you, Jon?”

 _God, yes. Anything to help me through this_.

He had nodded and was relieved that his mother didn’t raise an objection. He’d never had wine before, just a glass of champagne on New Year’s this year with the Starks and the few beers that he and Robb had managed to get sneak over the past couple of years. He watched his father sip his wine slowly and Jon mimicked his actions. _Guess getting drunk tonight wouldn’t be a good idea_ …

 

The atmosphere was stiff. Jon was starving having had nothing to eat since breakfast other than a pack of crackers that Sansa had brought for him to eat on the plane but he felt strange tucking in like usual with this man. He thought of dinner at the Stark’s house. Cat usually made enough food for twice their numbers when everyone was gathered together, which was good considering how much he and Robb could put away the past few years. The serving bowls and platters would cover the table. Ned might ask a blessing…or not and then everyone would start talking and passing food around and talking over one another and saying ‘excuse me’ or ‘could you pass me the…’ That felt like home. This was just weird. Jon caught his father eyeing him as he was trying out the ‘fish course’.

“I’m sorry if this is overly formal...and not what you’re used to. I was raised this way by my parents. They are terribly formal people but kind in their own way. The Targaryens tend to do things in a more outdated fashion than most families. My children were constantly telling me so when they were around your age.”

“It’s fine, sir…I mean…um, Father.” _This is so fucking awkward_ …But, Rhaegar seemed pleased by being called that so Jon pressed on, “Your parents are still living?”

“Yes, your grandfather and grandmother, Aerys and Rhaella, live in Kings Landing year round now. They visit Dorne from time to time though. Your half-sister and brother, Rhaenys and Aegon, both live here. Aegon is married and has a daughter. They both work with me at our family’s company, Targaryen Technology. They have both expressed a desire to meet you if that would be alright.”

“Sure. That would be fine.” _In for a penny, in for a pound…couldn’t get stranger than this, I suppose_.

 

More small talk ensued as one course after another was brought out. It was all very good and Jon was finally feeling full by the time dessert arrived. He’d drank two glasses of the tart wine and asked to switch to water afterwards but his head was spinning a bit. He found he liked the sensation of not feeling quite so out of place and awkward at least.

Jon’s mind was wandering and he was wondering how Sansa was doing when his father laid down his napkin and said, “Your mother mentioned you have applied for college. Where were you thinking of attending? Do you have an interest in a particular course of study?”

“I’ve applied at Arryn College in the Vale and Riverlands University. Riverlands has already accepted me but I’m still waiting to hear from Arryn College. I’ve been working for Ned…Mr. Stark…the past couple of months at his company but I’ve taken an interest in studying law.” _So, at least you know I’m not a complete moron_ …

“Oh, that’s excellent. I think you would find Oberyn an interesting man to talk to about that. His firm is the largest in Dorne, one of the largest in Westeros actually. You know, you could consider applying at Sunspear as well. It’s an excellent Law School and I know several of the Board members there so a late application wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Oh, Rhaegar. That is so kind of you. What a wonderful opportunity, right Jon?”

“I’m not coming to Dorne for college. It’s much too far from home,” Jon replied hastily.

“Jon! Don’t be rude,” his mother started.

“It’s alright, Lyanna. I didn’t mean to sound pushy. He has made plans already and I can’t blame him for wanting to stay closer to home and to his friends and family…and of course, Miss Stark.”

“You’re not married to her, Jon! You shouldn’t let your girlfriend dictate where you go to college.”

Jon snapped before he stop himself, “That’s enough, Mum! Stop acting like Sansa is just some girl. I’ve already told you how serious I am about her. I don’t care if you agree with our wishes or not. And Sansa isn’t trying to dictate where I go to school.” _Good,_ _Jon…great job keeping your cool_.

Rhaegar was holding up his hands before his mother could reply. “Please, Lyanna. I’d like a few minutes with Jon if you don’t mind. If you’re finished, perhaps you wouldn’t enjoy exploring the gardens?”

His mother was still glaring at Jon but finally conceded.

 

Rhaegar escorted them both outside to an enormous patio and, once Lyanna had started off towards the gardens, he gestured for Jon to follow him back into the house through a different set of doors. They entered an elegant library and Rhaegar invited Jon to sit with him.

“I’m not going to lie to you. I can tell you’re much too bright for that anyway. After your mother’s visit in September, I…I asked Oberyn to help me find out a little about you. That’s how we knew so much about the Stark family’s involvement in your life. They are the ones that really raised you, aren’t they?”

Jon’s initial anger at being checked up on didn't last long and he nodded to his father. He was surprised by the sudden desire to defend his mother though.

“She can’t really help how she is. She’s had problems ever since her parents’ sudden death Ned says…and my uncle’s murder. She’s tried to be there…on and off over the years. She’s been with me nearly a year now though.”

“Nearly a year? You’re 18, Jon. How much time has she been with you prior to that?”

“Some…not a great deal. It’s hard for her and I guess I preferred being with the Starks which probably made it more difficult for her. I don’t know,” Jon finally sighed. He was exhausted. It had been a very long day.

Rhaegar laughed quietly and put a hand on his shoulder. “I think Elia would’ve liked you.”

“Elia?”

“My wife. She was a wonderful woman. We were encouraged to marry by our family at a young age…another outdated notion of my family’s. Marrying her was a duty at first but in time I came to love her. She would’ve liked you. You’re honest, thoughtful and obviously kind.” Jon didn’t quite know what to think of this praise but it pleased him in a way. His father smiled and continued, “I don’t believe marrying Sansa would be a ‘duty’ to you though?”

“No.”

“That’s good. Young people should be allowed to find love on their own, I think. I don’t regret marrying Elia now but I decided to not follow my parents’ example when it came to my children. I told them to follow their hearts.” His father lapsed into silence for a moment before asking, “Eddard and Catelyn Stark are truly your parents in your heart, aren’t they?”

Jon felt a moment of guilt over his mother before he nodded.

“Besides Sansa, the Starks have four other children, I believe?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re close to them all I take it.”

“Yes. Robb is my age and my best friend…he is truly a brother to me. Arya is almost 14 and Bran is 12. Rickon is 10. I love them all and consider them my siblings as well. I used to think of Sansa that way until our feelings changed for one another.”

“I see. She’s a lovely young lady. I’m sure you are missing her. I would not have objected to her presence at dinner. I want you to know that. I believe that Oberyn mentioned taking her to the billiard room after dinner. Shall we go and see if we can find them?”

“Thank you. I’d really like that.”


	24. Tourist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's POV

Oberyn Martell was certainly an interesting man. He was suave and courteous and quite handsome despite being her father’s age. He reminded Sansa of the stars in the old romantic movies she loved when she was younger…well, secretly still loved. He was dark, exotic, with an air of danger and she would’ve happily listened to him read the phone book with his delightful, Dornish accent. Sansa caught herself more than once giggling and blushing like a fool during dinner. _Get a grip, Sansa…you’re behaving like a twelve_ _year old fangirl meeting an actor you’ve got a crush on_. _You’re here for your boyfriend who you love very much_.

Oberyn had arranged to have a small table brought out for them to dine in the Water Gardens. The house was called the Water Gardens but this was the place where the name really fit. They were surrounded by lush gardens and tinkling fountains. There was a long, narrow and shallow pool behind Sansa where Oberyn said the children of the family would play naked in the fountains along with the servants’ children when they were younger.

“Of course, all of our children are grown now.”

“They played naked in the fountains?” Sansa asked hoping she didn’t sound too prudish. She knew that teens would sometimes skinny dip in the ponds and lakes near home in the summer but that was not a behavior that Sansa had ever indulged in.

“Oh yes. We’re not so concerned about nudity here in Dorne. We’re far more comfortable with such things than you Northerners, I believe, and even the people in the capitol find us bold. But the children would only play there naked until they became old enough to have some modesty.”

 

Oberyn was wearing a loose linen shirt that was light blue and unbuttoned half way down his chest and a pair of white trousers. He had prepared their dinner himself over a small cook fire. He’d brought stuffed peppers and kabobs loaded with meats Sansa didn’t recognize. The spices were potent and foreign to her as well.

“I hope you like it. We prefer spicy foods here in Dorne.” Sansa took a bite and smiled and then almost choked as she coughed and spluttered and reached for her water. Oberyn had chuckled and said, “Perhaps too spicy for you, sweet Sansa?”

“No! No…it’s delicious but the heat took me by surprise.” She took another bite to prove her point and was pleased that her eyes didn’t overflow with tears.

“Yes…the heat in Dorne can be unexpected,” he concurred, “but pleasant in its way.” Sansa choked on her water and tried to figure out if he meant something else by the comment. He smiled at her confused expression and laughed. “I meant nothing untoward, child,” he said with his hands raised. “You have known Jon all of your life, yes?” Sansa nodded. “You seem very much in love. It is sweet to see young people so in love.”

“Yes, I love him very much and he loves me. He gave me this promise ring at Christmas and asked me to marry him,” she said as she held out her hand.” Oberyn smiled and complimented his taste before she continued, “We’ve had some difficult times since we discovered the way we felt about one another but _hopefully_ , those things are behind us now.”

Oberyn’s inquisitive look prompted Sansa to share more and before long she had told him about Ygritte and the texts and Ramsey and what he did to her and Jon and Bran. Sansa was surprised at the lethal look that came into Oberyn’s eyes as she told him everything.

“This happened in October? Then, after we had…never mind. Rhaegar did not tell me.”

“Perhaps he did not know.”

“He’s been speaking with Jon’s mother on and off for months now. He knew. He just didn’t want me to know. These were not things _I_ knew but…for this beast to harm you, sweet girl, and your brother, just a child…and Rhaegar’s son…it makes me long for vengeance,” he finished with a chilling look.

“But you didn’t even know us then. Ramsey did nothing to you or your family.”

“Sansa, your beloved is a Targaryen even if he is not one in name. The Martells have deep blood ties to the Targaryens…and we do not quickly forgive and forget those that would harm our own. It is the way of things here in Dorne.”

“It is the way of things in the North as well. ‘The North remembers’ my father always says.”

“Perhaps so,” Oberyn replied with a smile, “but if you ever have need of my help, I am only a phone call away. I will gladly be of service to you and Jon or any of your family.”

 

After they had finished eating, Oberyn led her around the gardens for a bit and then suggested billiards. Sansa had never played the Dornish version but was willing to learn. She was playing rather terribly though. She was leaning over the table with the cue stick laying across the rest when Oberyn suggested he should check her form. He moved behind her.

“No, lovely girl, like this,” he said as he leaned against her backside and placed his arms around her to reposition her arms. Sansa could feel his warm breath on the side of her neck as he was given her instructions and thought perhaps she should ask him to step back.

“Oberyn, I’m not entirely sure you’re helping poor Miss Stark’s aim very much,” Jon’s father said with a smirk from the doorway.

Sansa yelped in surprise and straightened, jerking her head back and butting Oberyn in the nose with the back of her head in her haste. Jon was standing behind his father, shock clearly on his face…and fury. _Oh, shit…that looked bad_.

“Ah, Rhaegar! You have a talent for interrupting at the worst possible time,” Oberyn said with a laugh as he held his bleeding nose, dipping into his pocket for a handkerchief. “And, I see a young man who looks like he’s ready to commit a heinous crime. Calm down, dear Jon. I have no ill intent towards your sweetheart. Sansa is a beautiful young lady but far too young for me.”

Jon didn’t look even slightly appeased by Oberyn’s words so Sansa went over to him. “I’m glad to see you. I’ve missed you. How was your dinner?” she asked as she hugged him.

He pulled her tightly against him with his arms around her waist. “It was alright. I missed you, too,” he said in a low murmur in her ear though his eyes were still on Oberyn.

Sansa smiled to herself at his possessive air and decided that Jon might need to be calmed in other ways tonight. She turned to the older men and said, “Mr. Targaryen? It’s been a very long day. I’d like for Jon to see me to my door so I can retire for the night.”

“Of course, Miss Stark. We’ll see you both at breakfast. And, please, call me Rhaegar.”

“Then you must call me Sansa,” she replied with a smile and took Jon’s hand. “Thank you for dinner, Oberyn. Good night.”

 

He was tense and Sansa was concerned about how his evening with his parents had gone but she didn’t think he was ready to talk about that just yet. They had nearly reached her room when Jon finally spoke.

“Was he being forward with you?” he asked.

“No, he was flirtatious perhaps but I think that’s just his way. I’m certain he didn’t mean anything by it. He told me over dinner about his long-term girlfriend. He is obviously crazy about her and has half a dozen children by her apparently.”

“You didn’t seem to mind him touching you,” he said gruffly.

“Are you jealous?” she asked with a grin.

“Maybe.”

“Don’t be. I am yours and yours alone. I assure you that I don’t want any other man’s hands on me.”

Jon exhaled deeply and gave her the first smile she’d had from him in hours. “I’m being stupid. I’m sorry...”

“No, don’t be sorry. You’re cute when you’re jealous but I wouldn’t purposely do that to you.”

He looked around the hallway and said, “Here’s your door.” She didn’t miss the longing in his voice and she had no intention of letting him leave her yet after spending so much time apart this evening.

“Yes, that would be my door. Let us test it out to see that it works properly and pass through to the other side,” she said teasingly. “Come on,” she said as she tugged at his hand and pulled him in behind her.

“Sansa…”

“What? It’s my spring break, too. Aren’t we supposed to have sexual adventures down here in sunny Dorne? I’m happy to be with you and support you with meeting your father and dealing with your mother and all but I’ll be extremely disappointed if there’s no hot sex.”

Jon’s eyes widened with a mixture of hopefulness and uncertainty. “But my mum’s in the next room…”

“I don’t think she’s there at the moment. God, it’s hot down here. I suddenly feel overdressed.”

Sansa gave him a coquettish smile, slipped off her sandals and pulled her dress over her head. She hadn’t been wearing a bra, the sundress had enough support, but she was wearing a new pair of lacy white panties.

“Sansa...God…you and your sexy underwear will be the death of me, sweetheart.”

“Oh well, we don’t want that,” she said with wicked grin. “Let’s get rid of these. They’re soaked anyway.”

She turned away from him to slide the panties down her hips and tossed them over her shoulder at him. He made the catch and she heard him let out a moan when he felt that she’d not been lying about being wet. Sansa turned back towards him and waited for him to get a good look.

“Oh my, God! Sansa…What did you do?” he asked with eyes as wide as saucers now.

Sansa giggled and said, “Margaery helped me go swimsuit shopping for this trip and suggested I get a wax. I hope you don’t mind.” She wasn’t entirely sure her words had even registered with him. He was staring at her perfectly bare peach with his mouth hanging open. She’d told the spa lady to just give her a bikini wax but apparently she hadn’t listened. “Uh, Jon? It’ll grow back if you don’t like it…”

He finally lifted his eyes from her mound to her face. “Fuck…You really are trying to kill me, I know it.”

With that he closed the distance between them and started kissing her while trying to unbutton his shirt. Sansa moved to help him but he got frustrated part way down. “Fuck it!” he panted as he tore the shirt open sending the last two buttons flying. They eagerly worked together to shed his pants and boxers with lightning speed. Sansa was about to move towards the bed but Jon pushed her towards the wall instead.  As she felt her backside hit the wall, he was already spreading her folds with his fingers while kissing and nipping at her neck and whispering filthy words in her ear.

“Oh, Jon…This is what I’ve wanted all day, to be with you and only you.” He let out a sweet, aching whine at her words. _I’m thinking that was exactly what you needed to hear at the moment_ , she thought with a smile.

Jon was still fingering her and let out a hungry growl. “You are so wet, pretty girl,” he was nearly whimpering.

Sansa grasped his hair as they were still kissing and said, “Jon…please…I want you to make love to me right here and right now.”

“We need a condom, Sansa.”

“I’m on the pill…”

“It’s only been a month since you got on it though…just give me a sec.”

His expression was quite priceless as Sansa saw him working through the frustrating thought of having to put his clothes back on and go back to his room to fetch a condom. She was feeling damn near desperate herself at the moment though. “Hang on…I brought a couple in my bag, in case of emergencies,” she said with a laugh.

Once that dilemma was solved he pressed her back to the wall once more. “Like this,” he begged as he lifted one of her legs to wrap around his hip and slid inside of her with a groan. The doors to the balcony in her room were open and Sansa could hear the low roar of the surf faintly in the background as he moved within her. She mewled with pleasure against his throat which prompted him to grasped her hips harder and pick up his pace. He was pounding her into the wall and the delight and enjoyment of having him here and so wantonly was engulfing her senses. Sansa could feel her ass slapping against the wall with every thrust now but then Jon’s hands moved from her hips to her ass, grabbing her and urging her to wrap both legs around him now. He held her forcefully against him with just her back touching the wall now while he fucked up into her with a ferocious passion. Sansa felt her peak building and welcomed it with a cry of ecstasy as it broke over her like the waves on the sand. He soon followed her over the edge and collapsed into her. Her legs slid back down to the floor as she used the wall to support them both. They were both panting when he finally said, “Sansa…I think I’m going to fucking love Spring Break.”

 

Later, they were laying in each other’s arms in her bed, sweating but content after having made love a second time. They had been quieter the second time as they had heard Lyanna moving around in her room getting settled. Sansa didn’t want to be detected tonight and didn’t want to cause any additional friction with Lyanna. Jon mentioned his frustrations over his mother’s behavior but Sansa tried to keep him relaxed.

“You’ve grown up and she’s practically missed it. It’s no wonder that she’s been reverting to treating you a bit like a child. Mom’s been doing it with Robb some lately but not to the same degree. I think she feels vulnerable here, too. She feels like they’re judging her…maybe they are. Try and be patient.”

He kissed her brow. “I don’t know what I’d do without you by my side.”

“You’d manage somehow,” she said with a grin.

“I don’t think so,” he said with totally sincerity. Sansa sighed when he said, “I should probably go to my room.”

“I wish you would stay.”

“If I stay, I don’t think we’ll get any sleep and it’s already been a long day. I’ll see you in the morning and I’m not letting Mum run you off again.” Sansa smiled and let him kiss her once more before he slipped out of the bed and started pulling his clothes back on. “Uh, Sansa…if you happen to find my shirt buttons…”

Sansa laughed softly and said, “If I find them, I’ll sew them back on for you.”

“Thanks. I didn’t pack much.”

 

The next morning, Jon was tapping at her door to walk her down to breakfast. As Sansa opened the door, she gasped in shock, “Your beard! What did you do?”

Jon looked abashed and she cursed her snappish tone as he said, “I shaved it off this morning. It was so hot and scratchy with this heat. I…You don’t approve?”

“No, it’s not that. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. You’re beautiful to me, beard or no beard. I just had gotten used to it.” She reached up to stroke his soft, newly shaved cheek.

“Well, I’ll probably want to grow it back once we head home…at least until summer.”

“No objections here then but it’s your face.” She kissed him and they headed down the hall.

Rhaegar, Lyanna and Oberyn greeted them at as they entered a massive dining room. Jon whispered that this was where he’d eaten dinner the night before. Sansa couldn’t help be marvel at the size of the room and wondered what it would be like when it was full of people. Lyanna crossed over to greet them and kissed Jon’s cheek.

“Oh, I’m so happy you shaved, darling.”

“Don’t get too used to it, Mum. It’s only a concession to the heat.”

Sansa could already sense the tension building between them so she started talking, babbling a bit really, to distract Lyanna and get Jon to calm down again. Some girls might have let the tension build, some might have even provoked it to make their boyfriends choose between them and their mothers. But Sansa was not one of those girls, she knew. _Things may never be easy between them but I can try and help in the ways I am able_.

Oberyn called over to Jon and invited him to sit with him. “Rhaegar told me you were interested in studying law.” Jon’s jealously from the night before had been thoroughly extinguished by Sansa last night and they fell into a discussion about the different types of law and what Jon might be interested in. Oberyn invited him and Sansa to come to his law firm with him after breakfast to visit.

“Yes,” Rhaegar added, “I must go to the office today anyway. Perhaps Oberyn would bring you to my offices at Targaryen Tech after lunch and I can introduce you to my other son and my daughter…if that suits you.”

“Sure, that will be fine,” Jon said in a pretty cheerful tone for him.

 _He's nervous about meeting them_. She could tell at once but she wouldn’t say so in front of the adults. She merely squeezed his hand to remind him that she was here and not leaving his side. Sansa glanced at Lyanna and was wondering if she would be joining them when Lyanna thanked Rhaegar for arranging some plans for her for the day. Apparently, she was going to see some of the tourist hot spots. Sansa couldn’t help but feel relieved. If Jon was going to meet his half-siblings for the first time today, she didn’t think his mother, the woman that their father had cheated on _their_ mother with, would be a welcome addition at this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things...
> 
> Hope no one is angry that Sansa was enjoying Oberyn's attention at first. She is still a teenage girl and I didn't see any harm in her being a bit giddy in the company of a handsome, older man. She made up for it pretty well the rest of the chapter, I thought. And I hope I've conveyed (at least somewhat) that Oberyn will be someone who cares about them both and isn't some cad that's just there to invoke jealousy.
> 
> Second, I broke this chapter up after some editing because I decided I didn't like the way I had introduced Aegon and Rhaenys from Sansa' POV so I've decided to rework that a bit. But I wanted to get this posted at least. 
> 
> Thanks for reading my long-ass story...lol!


	25. Rollercoaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon meets his half-siblings and shares some fears and concerns with Sansa.
> 
>  
> 
> Jon's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a major re-write from when I originally wrote it. I wasn't happy with it as I had originally wrote it from Sansa's POV to try and keep that balanced but decided it needed to be from Jon's. Anyway, hope it doesn't suck! Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, I decided I wanted Rhaenys to be closer in age to Jon so I switched up the birth order to make Aegon the elder at 25 and Rhaenys the younger sibling at 22.

Jon had to admit the Martell Law Firm was impressive as they made their way to Oberyn’s well-appointed office. He couldn’t argue with the fact that Oberyn seemed to be quite an accomplished attorney either who was obviously held in high regard by his partners and employees. Jon found that he might just like Oberyn despite first impressions. They had fallen into a deep discussion regarding an extortion case that Oberyn was working on when they both noticed Sansa trying to stifle a yawn without success.

“Oh, dear,” Oberyn said. “This will never do. We are boring your lovely girl to tears, Jon. Sansa, there is a wonderful restaurant nearby. Let us introduce your boyfriend to Dornish cuisine for lunch, yes?”

Sansa shared a conspiratorial smile with Oberyn and agreed.

Over lunch, Oberyn asked him for more details about Ramsey and the attack.

“He killed the girl?”

“Yes, it’s not a proven fact but I believe he did.”

“And, the police have had no luck finding him?”

Jon was still guzzling water to combat his first taste of Dornish food and he was coughing again.  It took a moment before he could respond.

“No, it’s been about five months and no one has spotted him. They thought he had fled the area until Ygritte’s body was found but now the police suspect he may be staying close,” Jon answered and looked over at Sansa uneasily.

She kept looking down at her food. He knew how much she didn’t like thinking about the possibility of him coming back for them.

Oberyn’s eyes followed Jon’s to Sansa with concern and asked, “Has Mr. Stark considered a private investigator? Or even security? We use them all the time at the firm. Two of my daughters work in those capacities for me here and in private matters. They are excellent.”

“No, we had not thought of it. Captain Clegane has been working hard with his officers to find Ramsey but Wintertown doesn’t have a very large force and of course they have plenty of other matters to deal with,” Jon responded.

 

After lunch, Oberyn drove them over to Targaryen Technology. It was a tall skyscraper made of glass windows. Jon and Sansa looked up in awe at the tallest building either of them had ever seen. The tallest building in Wintertown was eight stories tall. This one looked to have at least thirty. They rode the elevator to the 32nd floor and stepped out into a very elegant hallway. Rhaegar was there to meet them.

“Jon, Sansa, I’m so glad to have you here. Follow me.”

They followed to Rhaegar’s vast private office. There was a conference table that could seat twelve, a small bar area, two leather sofas and a chair with a coffee table in one corner and then Rhaegar’s large desk with two plush chairs for guests before it. They sat on one of the sofas as Rhaegar explained some of his family’s business to them both.

“When I met your mother, Jon, I was junior vice president. My father was still running the company then. Now, my son, Aegon, is the junior vice president. My daughter is finishing up her marketing degree but works here part-time. They are both here today and eager to meet you. May I introduce them?”

Jon nodded and Rhaegar stepped over to the phone on his desk to call them.

“Are you okay?” Sansa asked.

“I’m not as nervous as yesterday,” he smiled. “I just never thought I’d have more family than my mum and your family. It’s something to get used to.”

Rhaenys Targaryen had apparently taken after her Dornish mother. She had dark hair and brown eyes and looked like she could easily be Jon’s full sister other than the fact that he was rather pale and she was olive-skinned. And the parent they shared looked nothing like either of them. She was 22 and almost finished with college.

Aegon Targaryen, on the other hand, looked exactly like Rhaegar except younger. He had the same silvery blond hair and his eyes were purple, too, except perhaps a lighter shade. He was 25 and married with an infant daughter.

“We’ve been looking forward to meeting you since Papa told us about you, haven’t we, Egg? Please call me, Rhae,” his half-sister said with a smile as they were introduced.

Jon nodded and reached out to shake her hand only to be engulfed in a bone-crushing hug which was quite surprising from such a petite woman.

“Oof…uh, it’s really nice to meet you, Rhae,” he said after he got some oxygen back in his lungs. She beamed at him and then looked at Sansa. “This is my girlfriend, Sansa Stark.”

“Oh! It’s lovely to meet you, too,” Rhae said with a delighted squeal as she squeezed the living daylights out of Sansa next.

“Thank you,” Sansa said flushed with pleasure at the warm welcome.

“Aegon, stop being such a sourpuss and come over here,” she motioned to his half-brother that was coolly standing to the side observing them.

“It’s nice to meet you, Jon and Sansa,” he said politely. His handshake was firm but brief. His eyes were not warm like Rhae’s but not unkind either. _They’re like night and day…how did the three of us all come from the same man?_

“God, Egg, you’ve got all the warmth of a snow pea sometimes,” Rhae said with a laugh. “Don’t mind him. He’s always a stiff at first. He warms up eventually…usually after a few drinks. What are you two doing this week? Besides spending time with our sweet but boring father?”

Jon and Sansa both looked awkwardly at one another as they mumbled out their uncertain plans. There were no plans really. He had come to Dorne to meet his father. He had done that. The rest of the week was a bit of a mystery to him other than wanting more time with Sansa…much more time _alone_ with Sansa.

Rhae smiled enigmatically at their lack of an agenda and looked to Rhaegar. “I think Jon and Sansa have plans tonight, Papa.”

 

“I REALLY don’t want to do this, Jon!” Sansa said with desperation as she clutched his arm as though she meant to cut the circulation off.

“It’s a bit late to change your mind now,” he chuckled. “Close your eyes and it’ll be over in 3 minutes 25 seconds,” he continued as the chain lift began pulling them…click, click, click…up the first hill, the ridiculously tall first hill.

“Hang in there, Sansa! This is awesome. Don’t close your eyes till we reach the top at least, sweetie. I promise you’ll love the view!” Rhae shouted around Jon.

At the very top, it _was_ a spectacular view of Dorne. The rolling red hills still apparent at dusk to the left and the sparkling, wine-dark sea to the right as the sun had set. The Red Viper giga coaster was 325 feet tall at its highest point and hit 95 miles per hour at top speed and Jon loved every single second of it. He and his half-sister shouted and whooped like loons when the G forces and wind-resistance weren’t forcing them to just hold on for dear life. Sansa had kept her eyes open all the way to the top but as they crested the hill he heard her mutter a prayer and then not another sound passed her lips until they were pulling back into the station.

“Well?” he asked Sansa as they got off.

“That was terrifying-The view was amazing-I hated it-It was so much fun,” she said in one breath.

He laughed at her conflicting statements before he asked, “Want to ride again then?”

“God, NO!” she shouted and then laughed with him. “Maybe someday,” she finished with a grin.

Rhae had brought them to Dornish Winds Park to ‘get to know each other,’ she said. Jon had been hesitant to spend the evening with her but this evening had been perfect. It had been fun and comfortable. She seemed like everything he could have wanted in a big sister and he wished he could’ve known her sooner. She and Sansa were already fast friends and she had even invited Lyanna to join them. Whatever feelings she had about the woman her father had slept with years ago, Rhae was open and friendly towards Lyanna. And what pleased Jon just as much was how open and friendly his mother was being with her. He remembered Sansa’s words from last night about Lyanna feeling judged and thought that Rhae’s easiness put Lyanna at ease. It made all the difference with her truly. He dreaded tomorrow night though. His half-brother had invited them all to join him and his wife and daughter for dinner out. Aegon did not strike Jon as the kind of man that put people at ease. Honestly, Jon was nervous at the thoughts of spending time with him even on his own, let alone with Lyanna there.

“How was it?” his father asked when they rejoined him and Lyanna.

“Wonderful!” Jon said.

“Terrible!” Sansa shouted.

His parents laughed at their responses and Jon asked his mother about the stuffed dragon she was holding.

“Oh, your father won it for me,” she said with a smile. “Us old folks had to find something to do while you kids were having fun.”

Jon caught his father gazing fondly at his mother. He suddenly felt the same swoop in his stomach like on the coaster but it wasn’t pleasant this time. _Don’t fuck things up at_ _home_ , he thought as he watched them the rest of the night. To his eyes, his father was being awfully attentive and his mother was loving every moment of the attention.

 

After they said good-bye to Rhae and returned to the Water Gardens that night, Sansa had pleaded fatigue and went to bed earlier than Jon and his parents. But after midnight, she came to his room. He was sleeping fitfully and, when he felt her crawl into bed next to him, he sighed and pulled her close.

“I hoped you would come to me,” he said sleepily as he reached for her.

“Oh, I came to you,” she said as she kissed him. “Now, I want you to come for me.”

“Sansa?”

“Hmm?” she responded as she was kissing her way down his neck.

“Do you think Mum’s being weird around my father?”

She sat up and looked at him. “No, not really…I think…I think your father’s lonely, Jon.”

“Wait? Him? I think he’s just being nice…”

“He lost his wife 10 months ago. It wouldn’t be strange for him to be feeling lonely and…”

“Well, yeah…but, she’s always screwing things up, Sansa. She’s not even mentioned Sandor while we’ve been down here.”

“Maybe not to you but I heard her on the phone with him just this morning. I think you’re reading too much into things tonight,” she said as she gently ran her hands through his hair. “And if you’re right about your parents, would you be so opposed to them being together?”

“I…yeah, I would in a way. I guess that sounds selfish. She needs stability. She doesn’t need to go from one man to another. I know it’s not my choice though. I just…Sandor is good for her. He’s reliable, he’s honest, he cares deeply about her, he’s someone you can depend on to stick around.”

“And your father’s not?”

“No…I mean, I don’t know. I guess he is but for 18 years they weren’t in touch. He didn’t know about me but he didn’t care enough to find out what happened to her either. She’s flighty, I know. I don’t want to know how many boyfriends she’s had over the years but Sandor’s the first one she’s ever brought around me.”

“I think your father is a reliable man, too. He may have cheated on Rhae’s mom but he stayed with her until she died last year.  He stuck with her through a long and difficult illness, Rhae said.  He stayed and raised their two children with her. Maybe that counts for something at least. And, they may be adults but they’re not perfect.” Sansa laid back down next to him for a few minutes before she spoke again. “You care about Sandor, don’t you? He’s someone _you_ can depend on, isn’t he? You’d like that. A man at home with your mother who cares, who _you_ can count on?”

“Yes,” he answered suddenly wishing he hadn’t started this conversation, wishing he didn’t feel like crying now.

Sansa understood him well though and she would not push him to work through things he wasn’t ready to deal with yet. She just let him hold her until he fell asleep again.

 

Dinner with Aegon and his wife didn’t go that badly. Sansa cooed over their daughter which would please any new parents and Jon loved watching her eyes widen with delight as she held the baby on her lap and talked animatedly with her to make the little one smile. His wife, Sarella, was a Dornish beauty and friendly enough. Aegon started discussing business with his father once the food was ordered though and Rhae tutted at him to stop boring everyone with shop talk at the table. He sniffed at his sister with disapproval before turning his focus on Jon and his mother.

“My father says your family is originally from Frost Fangs, Lyanna.”

“Yes, but I was born after they had moved to Wintertown.”

“A desolate place, I imagine…Frost Fangs, I mean. I’m sure Wintertown is charming enough,” he said with a slight smile. “So, what was it like working for Targ Tech way back when? Interesting? Exciting? You must have been awfully young then.”

Jon glanced at his mother and saw the uncertainty in her eyes. _Is he being a dick or is he just terrible at making small talk?_ He thought of the things Sansa had said and determined that he would not let his mother feel alone in this tonight. He touched her hand under the table and, when she slid her hand into his, he squeezed it.

Lyanna’s smile returned and she said, “It was interesting enough…not that I did much beyond making copies and running errands around the office and such. And, I was quite young. I lied about my age actually to get the job. I had run away from home, you see.”

“Really, Lyanna? Were you a wild child?” Rhae asked with laughter in her eyes. _She’s good with people_ , Jon thought again as he looked at his half-sister. _Him…not so much_.

“I suppose I was,” his mother answered with a grin. “I’ve been trying for years to outgrow it, I’m sorry to say.”

Aegon turned his attention to his meal after a stiff nod. After a few drinks though, he did warm up some…just as Rhae had promised he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And in case anyone is a coaster enthusiast like me, I based my coaster description on Fury 325 at Carowinds theme park outside Charlotte, North Carolina. I love coasters but I'm terrified of them, too...like Sansa. I usually say a prayer and close my eyes...lol.


	26. Down in Dorne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some humor, good bit of smut and then angst at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I agonized over the smut when editing so I hope it turned out well and genuine. Jon is going to be melodramatic at the end of the chapter so I hope that it comes off believable. Thanks for reading my story!

For three nights in a row, they had come to one another’s rooms after everyone else had turned in. They were stumbling through their days somewhat from so little sleep but Jon could not find it in himself to complain one bit. Jon was sitting on a large, shaded veranda drinking coffee and eating breakfast with his father but he was thinking of the night before when Sansa had suggested trying something new. He started smiling to himself when he remembered her riding his face while she tried to give him a blow job. Jon had fully enjoyed the experience of pleasuring her while he was being pleasured but Sansa could not seem to focus on her own task while Jon was busily sucking at her clit then darting his tongue inside her.

“Jon, I can’t…you’re going to have to…uh…don’t stop…God, don’t stop.”

She reached her peak squeezing his head between her thighs as she moaned around his cock which had been all but forgotten in the last couple of minutes except for an absent-minded kiss or two. He didn’t care. Trying something new with Sansa was enjoyable but making her come apart was just as pleasing. _She made it up to me afterwards anyway_ , he thought with a private grin.

Now, they had a _slight_ issue though. Sansa had only brought five condoms and those had been used. Jon had packed a brand-new box…at least, he thought he had packed a new box. Instead, he realized with dawning embarrassment, he had left them sitting at home…probably by his sink or on his bed. _God, please let Sandor check on the house first and put them away. Please, don’t let Ned see them if he checks the house first_ …Sansa had told him not to worry as she was on the pill but he remembered their panic from two months earlier very well.

“The doctor told you to use back up for three months before trusting the pill entirely. I don’t want to get you pregnant, Sansa. Not for a long time anyway.”

She hadn’t argued but he honestly didn’t have complete faith that he could pull out in time either. He realized he would either not be having sex for the rest of this trip or he’d have to do some shopping. He looked over at his father sipping his coffee and reading his morning paper with bifocals perched on his nose. _I can’t ask him_. Jon liked his father. He was coming to care about his father but he wasn’t exactly the type of man that made a teenage guy feel comfortable when it came to asking for this kind of favor. _If I ever come down here again, I’m renting a fucking car_. He thought about asking Sansa to talk to Rhae about picking up some supplies but he felt like this was his mistake and he should fix it. Aegon was not an option. His half-brother was alright, he supposed, but Jon would be even less comfortable asking him than his parents. There was one other person Jon thought might be willing to help, especially given his free and easy manner. Oberyn was over at the house most nights and his schedule was freer than Rhae’s anyway.

When Jon finally stammered out what he needed to go purchase that afternoon, Oberyn had smiled widely. “Of course, my dear Jon, I would be happy to help you run your _errand_.”

He was rather hoping Oberyn would just sit in the car once they’d driven the 30 minutes to the pharmacy. But, Oberyn followed him inside. He soon struck up a conversation with the clerk though and let Jon go find what he needed to purchase in peace. However, he was still chatting with the clerk when Jon came to the register and nonchalantly put the box of condoms down on the counter.

Oberyn looked at him with a devious smile and said, “What, no lubricant?”

Jon’s mouth dropped open and he suspected his face was the same shade as Sansa’s hair. _Holy shit! The clerk probably thinks we’re a couple now. I’ll walk to bloody Sunspear before I ask for another ride from him_. Once they reached the parking lot though, Oberyn winked at him and began laughing.

“You…You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!” Jon said with sudden indignation.

“Yes,” he laughed. “I’m sorry! You Northerners are so uptight. I am awful but I was only having a little fun at your expense. I hope you will forgive me.”

Jon thought he'd just stay pissed until he caught himself laughing with Oberyn. “I don’t…Okay, yes…very funny. I forgive you. Just don’t pull that shit again, alright?”

“Again? Were we going to have to go back again before the week is up then?” he asked with an amused grin.

“Oh, my God…Just stop! I can’t believe you and my father get along so well,” Jon said as he got back in the car.

“Oh…Rhaegar’s had a long time to get used to me.”

Other than his little errand with Oberyn, he and Sansa spent the day sight-seeing with Rhaegar and Lyanna. Oberyn didn’t actually live at the Water Gardens but he stayed there often; however, he had returned to his home closer to Sunspear the next day. They wouldn’t be seeing him again until he took them sailing on Friday.

 

Jon still wasn’t sure what to think of the way his parents were acting towards one another. They were polite, friendly even, with a hint of flirtatiousness at times. But she didn’t seem at ease here like she did at home with Sandor. He knew she cared about Sandor and he cared about her. Jon hoped that the luxurious lifestyle his father lived in wouldn’t cause her to forget the good man that was waiting for her at home in Wintertown. His father might be more dashing in a way but he had been widowed not quite a year and probably wasn’t ready to make any real relationship commitments yet.

 

The next morning, Sansa came down and joined him and his father as they were finishing up breakfast. Sansa was wearing a flowing white knee-length skirt and a light green sleeveless top. She had her hair braided again. She looks so fresh and lovely. _No one_ _would suspect what a naughty girl she can be under the sheets_ , he thought as he poured her some juice. His attention was drawn from his salacious thoughts by his father though.

“I’m sorry but I must go into work today for most of the day. You two will be content here I hope?” his father asked.

“Oh, yes,” Sansa replied. “I look forward to exploring your beautiful gardens some more and I want to spend some time at the beach as well.”

Rhaegar looked at her fondly and wished them both a good day.

Sansa was holding his hand as she led him down one of the garden’s winding paths. Ever so often he would stop her for a kiss by a fountain or have her sit in a shady bower with him for a moment for more kisses.

“Come on, Jon. We’ll never get to the place I want to show you if we stop every other minute.”

She led him further and further from the house. The path they turned down had tall hedges on either side. It was almost like a maze the further they went. Sansa took a left turn but then shook her head and said, “This way,” as she turned them back the other direction. They rounded a corner.

“Dead end,” Jon said when he saw the path only led to some sort of storage building or greenhouse.

“No, this is exactly where I meant to bring us,” Sansa replied with a seductive smile.

“When have you been here?”

“Yesterday, while you were out running your _errand_.”

Sansa opened the door and beckoned him to follow. It was pleasantly cool inside and Jon could hear an air-conditioner humming in the background. There were numerous varieties of orchids and roses filling the room. The air was heavy with the smell of them. It was intoxicating…almost as intoxicating as her scent.

“Are you wearing more sexy underwear to tempt me, pretty girl?”

“Not exactly,” she said. Sansa turned and smiled at him while she lifted her skirt up slowly to reveal that she wasn’t wearing any underwear at all. Just as Jon’s eyes widened and he started to smile, she dropped her skirt and giggled, “You’ll have to catch me!”

She darted towards the back of the greenhouse and Jon only hesitated a moment before he was after her. Sansa shrieked and laughed as a row of large planters separated them.

“Where will you go now, Red?” Jon teased as he lunged one way and then another. He had a definite advantage in speed.

“Red? Are you the big bad wolf then?” she asked.

“Absolutely. I’m going to huff and puff and blow your house down.”

“Oh, my goodness, Jon,” she shrieked with laughter, “You really can’t keep your fairy tales straight.”

“Wait…that’s ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ though, right?”

“No, sweetheart. That’s ‘The Three Little Pigs.’”

“I could’ve sworn there was huffing and puffing involved.”

Sansa was still laughing at him but took advantage of his temporary distraction with the game and ran further into the greenhouse. She reached the door at the end only to find that it was jammed. She let out a yelp and tried to force it to no avail when Jon came racing up behind her and stopped a few feet away.

“Looks like I’ve caught you,” he said with a smirk.

“You win, wolf. Little Red is all yours.” Jon stepped forward and grasped her by the waist to pull her in to him. “My, what strong hands you have, wolf,” she gasped.

“The better to hold you with,” he answered. She brought a hand to his face and slowly stroked his bottom lip with one finger.

“My, what soft lips you have,” she purred.

“The better to kiss you with,” he answered a bit more huskily. He was fully hard now and almost whimpering when she reached down and stroked him through the fabric of his shorts.

“My, what a big cock you have,” she whispered.

Jon knew he was blushing when he said, “The better to…God, Sansa…I can’t even say it.”

Her eyes danced mischievously. “And yet you really want to say it, don’t you, Jon? You want to say…”

“No more talking,” he said as captured her lips with his own. He lifted her skirt up next and got down on his knees before her. “At least not for me.”

 

She could barely stand when her climax hit and he gripped her hips tightly to hold her in place while he continued licking and tasting her and to keep her from keeling over on top of him. When he felt her shuddering still and her cunt was no longer fluttering around his fingers, he rose back up to kiss her mouth once more.

“What about you?” she asked breathlessly.

“What about me? I didn’t bring a condom with me. I had no idea we’d be doing anything out here beyond kissing.”

“Come here,” she said with a smile and took his hand. She led him over to a small work area that contained a card table and chairs.

“Is somebody going to walk in on us, Sansa?”

“No, Oberyn had told me that the workers come three days a week to maintain the gardens. This isn’t one of the days.” Then, she leaned forward across the table, lifted her skirt again and looked back at him with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “Oh, wait...here you go.” She reached down her top and pulled a condom out of her bra.

“You really had this planned out, didn’t you?”

“Well, you know, I’m a planner. So, are you going to show me how you can fuck me now, wolf?”

He wanted to _desperately_ but she had never wanted to try with him being behind her before so he wanted to be certain. “Yes…are you sure, sweet girl?”

“Yes.”

Jon stepped out of his shorts and stroked her lovely ass before sliding the condom down his shaft. He moved his hand around to circle her clit gently and leaned over her to kiss her neck and shoulders. She arched her rear back into him.

“Sansa...I love you so much,” he breathed in her ear. He entered her cunt slowly. “Does it hurt?”

“No, it feels a bit different but not bad at all.”

She moved her hips gingerly, testing. Jon nearly went cross-eyed with the different kind of penetration he felt with her wrapped around him, while he was pressed against her ass. _Another new thing to try…I fucking love spring break_ … Sansa gave a breathy laugh when he shared his thoughts. He gripped her hips tightly once more and began moving. Sometimes she would gasp as he moved in deeper but anytime he asked if he needed to stop, she only urged him on. They soon found a rhythm that had them both groaning with pleasure. Jon moved one hand back around to her sensitive nub. He worked her mercilessly with this thumb and index finger as his hips bucked against her ass faster and faster, determined that she would peak, too. He was biting his lip so hard to put off his release, he thought he might draw blood. As he felt the familiar sensation of his balls tightening up though, she was panting hard and he could tell she was close. He started sucking on her neck as his thumb and finger continued their ministrations on her clit. She cried out at last and he came right after her with a grunt. His legs were trembling from the strain but he pulled her up close.

“Was it okay…for you, I mean?” he asked.

Sansa turned in his arms and kissed him. “Absolutely…definitely better than just okay. I love you. You’re always so concerned about how I feel. I really love that about you.”

He kissed her softly and discarded the condom in nearby bin. “I’m not sure I can walk back to the house yet. My legs are made of wood. I think I’m going to collapse actually,” he admitted.

Sansa giggled and said, “There’s a bench over there. I could use a few minutes to sit as well.”

 

They returned from their exploration in the gardens around lunchtime. _I will never think gardens are dull again_. Sansa went to her room to freshen up and find some underwear. He found his mother on the veranda where he’d eaten breakfast with his father that morning.

“I asked about having lunch brought out here. It’s so lovely,” she said. “Where’s Sansa?”

“She’ll be down in a minute, Mum.”

He could feel his mother’s eyes going over him. Just as he started to feel uncomfortable, she started laughing softly to herself. “I’m not much of a chaperone, I think. Ned and Cat would probably not be very pleased with my efforts to watch over their daughter.”

Jon felt his cheek getting hot. “Mum...”

“Well, it’s not as though you two do very much to hide it,” she said with another laugh. When Jon started to respond, she held up her hand. “Relax. I’m not chastising you or telling you to stop. I know how much you love each other. I certainly have no room to talk anyway. I’m happy for you and Sansa, Jon. I’m sorry for being a bitch about it when we got here. I want you to be happy. I’ve just had such miserable luck in love that I guess I thought you were too young…to already have found it really.”

“What about now? Do you still feel like you’ve got miserable luck?”

“No…I love him, Jon.”

“Who, Mum?” he asked anxiously.

“Sandor, sweetheart. Did you think I meant your father? I…I’m sorry if you thought that.”

“I’m not. I’m glad to hear that.”

“Oh…I guess I just thought maybe you’d want to have your mom and dad together and happy.”

“I barely know my dad though. It’s not like you guys got divorced when I was little and I want you back together like some fairy tale. I just want you to be happy, Mum.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” she said as Sansa joined them and asked about going to the beach. “You both enjoy the afternoon down there. Your father said he’d like to take me out for dinner tonight to talk a few things over. I’ll see you later,” Lyanna said.

 

He and Sansa enjoyed the entire afternoon at the beach. He could see why Margaery suggested the wax job. Sansa was wearing a teeny tiny navy blue string bikini. It showed an indecent amount of her ass cheeks and barely covered her breasts. Jon certainly wasn’t complaining about it here on a private beach but he didn’t like to think about her wearing it in Wintertown at the club pool.

_I’d constantly be trying to cover her up or I’d be trying to kill other guys for looking at her…or trying to sneak her off somewhere to get it off of her_.

When he confessed his feelings about the suit to Sansa, she laughed and said that Margaery had actually found it for her and suggested it would be perfect for Dorne. “I couldn’t possibly bear to wear it at home. God, what would Dad say? Or Mom? Or Robb?! Geez, Theon would say something gross, I know, and then I’d have to climb under a rock for a year or two. But, Margaery said sexy swimwear was a must down in Dorne.”

_Margaery Tyrell, you are my new best friend. I hope Robb gets a chance to take you to Dorne someday_. “I think we should honeymoon in Dorne, Sansa.”

She laughed at that and ran back into the surf. They splashed and played in the water and sat on the beach together holding hands and watching the waves together. Sansa teased him for constantly making her reapply sunscreen.

“Redheads don’t tan, Sansa, they burn.”

Sansa enjoyed the sea here much more than at White Harbor just as Jon had thought she would. When they returned to the house later in the afternoon, Varys told them dinner had been prepared for them in the dining room. They changed and enjoyed the ridiculously extravagant meal together.

 

As Jon was walking Sansa back to her room later than evening, they came upon Rhaegar and Lyanna in the hall by her door…kissing.

“What the fuck, Mum?!” Jon shouted.

“JON!” his mother gasped in the surprise. His father stepped back but wouldn’t look at him. “It’s not what you think,” she began.

“I knew you’d do this! I knew you’d fuck things up like you always do! I can’t believe you’d do this after what you said earlier though!” he shouted. Sansa was tugging at his arm, trying to talk to him but he pulled away from her and rounded on his father. “Why are you kissing her?!”

“This was a mistake, Jon,” his mother was saying. “We don’t…I don’t have those feelings for him anymore…”

But Jon’s fury was aimed at his father now who was still standing there saying nothing. “You’ve not been a part of our lives all this time and now you want to kiss her?! Why?!”

“Son, please,” Rhaegar began.

“NO! Don’t you call me that! Don’t ever call me that! I don’t want to be your son! I’ll never be your son. If this is what you want, Mum, I don’t want to be your son either!”

Jon turned and ran leaving them behind; his mother, his father and even Sansa. He ran to escape this house and the crushing sense of loss he was feeling, a loss he couldn’t quite understand. He ran and his tears of rage and betrayal in his eyes blinded him as he ran.


	27. The Sky is Not Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa's POV

Sansa stood frozen in the hall watching Jon disappear from her view. She glanced back at Lyanna and Rhaegar whose expressions reflected their feelings; fear, shock, and remorse. Her initial impulse was to turn her back on them and run after Jon. He was her heart and soul and he was hurting and it was their fault. But, nothing would be resolved like that. Much as part of her wanted to, Sansa couldn’t just ignore this situation. Ned and Catelyn Stark had raised their children to face adversity. Running was not their way and Sansa had paid close attention to them all these years. _She’s going to be your mother-in-law someday, Sansa. Try to help if you even can_.

“Lyanna, what happened?” she asked.

“Sansa,” Lyanna said, “I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me and I was completely caught off guard by it.” She turned to Rhaegar. “I’m sorry if you thought that I…but I don’t feel that way about you…not in years. God…he’s so angry now. He hates me. Why didn’t you speak up, Rhaegar?!”

“I’m sorry, Lyanna…can’t we talk about this somewhere else?” He looked over at Sansa.

“No! Goddammit, Rhaegar!” Lyanna screamed in frustration as her tears began to fall. “I’ve spent years doing _everything_ wrong with Jon and just when things are…well, at least not totally fucked up, he catches you kissing me…and he blames me! Of course he does. Why wouldn’t he? He’s right about me. I ruin everything but, Sansa, I swear to you, I _did_ _not_ kiss him. And, Rhaegar…I’m not mad at you, not really. I understand that things have been hard for you but I’ve finally found a man I love and I’m trying to make things right with our son but I keep failing.”

Rhaegar stood there mutely, clearly at a loss for anything to say to her. Lyanna shook her head and turned to leave and Sansa knew she had to stop her. Lyanna had spent so much of her life running away and it was time for her to stop.

“Lyanna, wait. Don’t run away. I’ll go and talk to him. I can’t promise anything but I’ll try and get him to talk to you. You can’t run away from this. If I get him to come and talk, you’ve got to be here. I think maybe you should call Sandor, too.” She then looked at Rhaegar. She pursed her lips and arched her brow at him in a way that would’ve made Catelyn Stark proud. His defensive stance crumpled at once.

“She’s right. I made a mistake and it was my fault. She didn’t kiss me back. I was…well, it was awkward and then you two showed up and it got much more awkward and Jon was shouting and I didn’t know what to do. But, I should’ve said something. I’ve been so lonely since Elia died. Lyanna has been a friend to me but I guess I wanted to believe there was more to it than that. I’m sorry and I’ll talk to him if you think he’ll even listen to me. I just met him. I don’t want to lose him already.”

Sansa nodded at his words and said, “I’ll go and talk to him…for both of you. I need to call a couple of people first.”

 

Sansa knew he wouldn’t be in the house. With no car, that really only left the gardens or the beach as an option. She wandered down a few paths calling his name but ultimately thought she’d find him on the beach. It was dark but the moon was nearly full and his white button-down shirt, the one she’d sewed the buttons back on for him a few nights ago, stood out in the moonlight. He was sitting on the beach facing the sea and, with the waves crashing, he didn’t hear her approach. She sat down next to him. His tears had dried but she could still see traces of them on his cheeks. She put her arm around him and whispered that she loved him. He put his arm around her but couldn’t seem to bring himself to speak.

“I talked to them, Jon. I talked to them both.”

Jon hung his head and didn’t let her finish, “I thought maybe she’d make things work with Sandor. I thought they might even get married…I don’t know. I was stupid, I guess. I was okay with the idea of him as my step-dad but she’s gone and ruined that now.”

“Excuse me but that’s really up to him isn’t it?” Jon pulled back from her arms and looked at her in surprise. “Sandor’s a grown man. Let him decide what he can forgive and what he can’t when it comes to their relationship. But you’re not hearing me out. He kissed her but she denies kissing him back and I believe her. It didn’t appear to me that she was returning the kiss when we walked up. I think we had miserable timing to witness it is all. Your mother is very upset and I suggested she call Sandor and let me talk to you first.”

“ _Why_ do you believe her?”

“I have faith in people and I would rather believe her. Maybe you think I’m naïve. I understand why you’re hesitant to believe her. She’s done plenty to erode your trust over the years but not by telling lies. Does your mother make a habit of lying to you?”

“No. It’s just…Sansa, this is hard.”

She took his hand and said, “Do you remember when you told me the sky wasn’t blue? You were 8 and I was 6. Do you remember?”

He smiled and said, “Yeah…God, you got so pissed at me. We had never argued liked that before.”

“Well, you were so proud of what you’d learned in science that day. Robb had been out sick with the chickenpox and you came running in to tell him about the atmosphere and how our sky wasn’t really blue and that it was just the reflection from the seas and such that tricked our eyes into perceiving it as blue.”

“You said I was lying and ruining everything.”

“Yes, it felt that way because you took something I thought I could trust and believe in and turned it upside down. I said a horrible thing to you that day. I’ll bet you remember that, too.”

He sighed and said, “You said you wished I’d go away and live with my mum again and leave your family alone. It doesn’t…we were children, Sansa.”

“It was still an awful thing to say. I wished I could take it back the second I said it. But, I couldn’t. We all make mistakes and sometimes our perception of things is just wrong. You saw them kiss and assumed the worst of your mother. Maybe your dad shouldn’t have kissed her but I don’t think you should be so hard on him either.” She wrapped her arms back around him and said, “I think it’s hard for them, too. I know, I know, they’re adults and you feel like they should have everything figured out but I don’t think it’s always so simple. Mom says life is messy and gets messier with every passing year. Your father is very sorry. He been lonely since his wife died and I think he let himself think there was something there between your mother and him. She’s not perfect, Jon, but she’s been trying to do better. They’re both very worried about the pain and distress this has caused you and neither of them want to lose you. You can believe her or not. It’s up to you about the kind of relationship you want to have with them in the end but first there’s something I want you to do.” Sansa stood up and dusted the sand off her shorts. She reached in her pocket and handed Jon her phone. He looked up at her perplexed. “Call him. You’ll feel better after you talk to him. You know he always helps. I called your sister, too. She’s coming over here. You’re welcome to take your time out here but don’t sit here alone all night.”

Sansa was alone on the veranda when he returned from the beach.

“Well?” she asked.

“You were right. Ned always know what to say to make me feel better. No wonder you’re so good at it.”

“Told you,” she said with a smile. “You want to talk to them now?”

“Yeah.”

“Am I coming with you?”

“No, you’re amazing and I truly don’t know what I would do without you but I need to deal with this and I’m going to talk to them on my own.”

“Okay. I’m going to talk to Rhae for a bit then. I’ll be with her if you change your mind.”

 

Sansa spent over two hours with Rhae before Jon came to find them. He hugged Sansa when he came in the room. He started talking to his sister and Sansa decided to head to bed. They were almost out of time here and she thought he should spend some time with Rhae. Sansa told him she was going to bed but he could come talk to her later if he wanted. She was asleep when she felt him crawl into bed next to her.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said as he pulled her up close to him. He was wearing his boxers and t-shirt, what he always slept in, and just held her for a bit before he started talking again. “I saw what I wanted to see, or at least what I expected to see. She didn’t do anything. We spent a lot of time talking about how hard it is for me to trust her and why. I’ve spent so much time talking I’m surprised I still have my voice. It’s nearly 2 and I’m just now coming to bed. I learned something I didn’t know, too. My mum didn’t know he was married…you know, when they were together all those years ago. When she found out, she left him and the job without a word but she was already pregnant. Maybe it doesn’t matter but it just seemed like it meant something.”

“It means she had some principals at least. It’s probably why she never wanted to speak of him before and why she didn’t say anything to him about you until after his wife died. Maybe she could’ve handled it better but…” Sansa trailed off and waited for him to speak again.

“Well, he knew he was married obviously. He admitted the adultery to his wife apparently after my mum left him. She forgave him. He said it took Oberyn longer to forgive him then Elia. My mum called Sandor and I think things will be okay there. She says she’s ready to go home. I guess she’ll feel better once she sees him in person. While she was on the phone, I spent time talking to my father. He’s sorry about everything but mostly he’s just hoping I’ll forgive him. I already have. One kiss is not enough to break everything apart over. Rhae was really supportive. I’m really glad I met her and she understands him so much more than I do and it helped. Thanks for calling her.”

Jon talked for a while about his conversations with her father and with his own. He’d learned that Rhaegar loved music like he did and also played guitar, as well as the piano and even the harp.

“All I could think was ‘Who plays the harp?’ but it’s okay because I was happy to find that there was something maybe that we actually have in common, something I maybe got from him, you know?”

“I think that’s wonderful, Jon.”

Jon stroked her hair and yawned. “Sansa, I just want to sleep tonight. But I want to stay here with you.”

Sansa kissed him on the cheek and said, “Sleep, my love. Let’s sleep.”

“But, Sansa…no promises that I’ll behave in the morning,” he grinned.

“Oh, I couldn’t stand for my wolf to behave himself too long.”

 

Friday had arrived and Sansa and Jon were to go sailing with Oberyn on his boat. They were to leave for home the following day. Things had returned to a more comfortable state between Jon and his parents. Jon had called Sandor the following day and asked him how he was. He then thanked him profusely for putting away the box of condoms Jon had left sitting out on the _kitchen table_.

“What the fuck was I thinking? I can’t believe I left them there!”

“I think you were a nervous wreck that morning,” she said laughing. “I’m pretty sure Dad’s aware that we’re…”

“Well, yeah…but I like being able to face your father.”

They were both missing home and spent a good part of their morning calling or texting with the other Starks. Jon was still texting with Robb when Oberyn arrived to drive them to the marina. Oberyn had brought his partner, Ellaria, along for their adventure. She was close to his age and had a dark, exotic beauty of her own. Sansa had never seen such a large sailboat before and was wondering if she’d made a mistake in agreeing to this outing…like the roller coaster. Oberyn was confident at the wheel and Ellaria seemed a skilled sailor as well but Sansa felt nervous as they pulled away farther away from shore. _I’ve never been this far from land before…if you don’t count airplanes…which I hate_. She gulped and tried not to think of flying tomorrow…and then tried not to think of being lost at sea today.

Jon broke in on these frightening thoughts by calling her below deck. “Look at this place,” Jon was saying. He was fascinated by the serviceable but compact galley and the extravagant living area with its big screen TV. The master bedroom was almost completely taken over by a king-sized bed and had mirrors on the ceiling. “Freaking mirrors…of course, it has mirrors on the…,” she heard Jon say under his breath.

“Jon, I’m feeling queasy.”

They returned topside and, while Sansa was gulping down the fresh, salty air to calm her stomach and nerves, Jon went to talk to Ellaria.

“Sansa, sweet girl, you are looking a bit green. Let me get you something to soothe your sea-sickness,” Ellaria said.

A couple of hours later, Oberyn anchored at a small island and Sansa was feeling better though drowsy from the tablet Ellaria had given her.

“What’s this place?” Jon asked. He was fascinated by the boat and the sea. Sansa wished she could share his enthusiasm but she was looking hungrily at the land. _Wonder if anyone would mind if I just lived there from now on_ …

“That’s my island,” Oberyn replied.

“Your island?” Sansa asked, temporarily distracted.

“Yes, it has belonged to the Martells for generations but it is quite deserted. Come ashore, dear girl. I’ll make lunch for us all and then you two can explore together,” he said.

 

After lunch, Oberyn and Ellaria had returned to the boat but told them both to explore as they pleased. Jon grabbed her hand with an exhilarated smile and pulled her along.

“A deserted island, Sansa, can you believe this? So, confession time…I’ve always dreamed about having sex on a deserted island with you.”

“With me?”

“Well…okay, not specifically with you but it’s been a fantasy of mine since around the age of 11 when Robb and I snuck downstairs one night to watch that movie with the two teenagers that are castaways on this island…first movie we ever saw with a naked girl in it and sex scenes…until your dad caught us watching it… _anyway_ …but here we are…and obviously you’re the only girl for me now…God, I’m sucking at this!”

Sansa laughed and took pity on him. “No you’re not sucking at this. I get what you’re saying. Let’s go explore.”

Jon smiled and they headed down the shore out of sight of the boat. To find a suitable place though…that was an issue. Sansa rejected Jon’s suggestion of sex on the beach.

“Too much sand in the wrong places, Mr. Snow,” she said primly.

Next, they found a cave near the shore but when they started exploring it they realized it was very dark inside and dank. And, Sansa was about to start hyperventilating at the thoughts of the tide trapping them in the cave and drowning…or bats.

“So many phobias, Miss Stark…what’s a horny guy to do?”

They moved inland and finally found something they could agree on. There was a lagoon filled with dark blue water with a little waterfall trickling down from the hills above. It was surrounded by lush forests and there were tropical birds everywhere making quite a racket. There were beautiful flowers all around. _Just don’t think about snakes, Sansa_.

“Is this perfect enough for you, pretty girl?”

Sansa pushed the snake thought away and said, “Yes, and I think it’s a good place to try something new. I’ve never been skinny-dipping. Race you to the water!”

She pulled her cover-up off and the navy blue bikini soon joined it on a rock as she ran to the water. Jon was laughing and took off his t-shirt and trunks more deliberately before following her.

“Oh FUCK! This water is cold!” he shouted as he got in. Sansa burst out laughing as he cursed. “It’s going to be a while before I can act out all my plans, Sansa.”

“Poor baby. Your deserted island sex will have to wait a bit…unless you want me to help you out there.”

She moved over to him. There was something so thrilling about being naked in the water and completely alone together. They started with kissing but, as Sansa moved down into the water to take him in her mouth, Jon’s body was rapidly adjusting to his initial shock from the chilly water. He lifted her up and they moved into the water a bit deeper. With the weightless sensation of the water, Sansa wrapped her long legs around his waist and slid down his shaft.

“Oh, yes, sweetheart…just like that,” he moaned into her throat.

“Jon, my sweet man…we forgot something…”

“Dammit…it’s in my trunks…” he gestured towards the rock.

She was still laughing as he rejoined her with the condom but she was soon screaming in ecstasy. She doubted that Oberyn and Ellaria could hear her but the birds certainly all got quiet.

 

As they returned to the beach where the boat was anchored, Oberyn was waiting for them. He smiled but they could tell something was not right.

“I don’t like the way the sky looks,” he admitted. “I think we should head back.”

The sky had turned a coppery shade in the west, back towards Dorne. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shitty, shit, shit_ …

Sansa knew she was wearing a look of complete terror on her face when Oberyn said, “It’s alright, child. I’ve sailed through squalls many times before and it is not so far to the mainland. Ellaria and I have been battening things down while we waited for you to return and we should be fine. Jon, take your lady below to the guest quarters. Take her mind of things, yes?”

The guest quarters were smaller than the other bedroom with just a full-sized bed dominating the room but there were still mirrors on the ceiling in here, too. Sansa heard Jon chuckle to himself when he saw them. Thirty minutes later, Sansa was clinging to Jon like he was the only thing keeping her from coming completely unhinged as the boat tossed and turned on the rough seas. Sansa was glad the pill Ellaria had given her earlier was still working at least. _Could be worse, Sansa. You could be getting ready to_ _be lost at sea AND puking all over you boyfriend_. Ellaria came down at one point and told Jon they could use an extra set of hands on deck. Sansa sat alone in the cabin for what seemed an eternity picturing Jon being washed overboard and the boat capsizing. But the drowsiness caused by the medicine, the day’s events and the long week with not much sleep were finally catching up with her. She laid down in the bed and succumbed to sleep.

She awoke to find Jon naked in bed next to her. Sunlight was coming through the portholes again and he was staring up at the mirrored ceiling. The boat seemed to be sailing along much more smoothly now. Jon’s hair was soaked and his curls were dripping all over his pillow.

“What happened?” she asked.

“We passed through the squall. I went up to help on deck and I got soaked. Apparently, you took a nap.”

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“It’s quite alright. I’d rather you be sleeping than terrified. It’s about 5:30. Oberyn says we’ll make port in about an hour.”

“Why are you naked?”

“My clothes got soaked, too, Sansa. I don’t have a spare set.”

“Of course…I should’ve realized.”

“That’s alright. You know…it’d be a shame to not enjoy this cozy little cabin…if you’re interested.” She smiled and pulled off her shorts and t-shirt she had changed into earlier. Jon watched her get undressed and said, “And I actually remembered to grab another condom this time…”

“Well done, my love….well done…so who gets to be on top and who gets to watch the show?” she asked pointing up to the mirrors.

“Oh, we’ll have to take turns, sweet girl. First a deserted island and now mirrored ceilings, two sexual fantasies in one day.”

“Jon…I fucking love Spring Break.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adios, Dorne. Back to the North next chapter.


	28. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three different character POVs as Jon and Sansa return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fairly short chapter.

**NED-**

 

The whole family had seen them off at the airport last weekend but only Cat, Sandor and himself were there to greet them when they got off the plane. Sansa was bubbling with excitement to tell Cat all about Dorne, the Targaryen house and sailing after giving him a hug. Jon had managed to hug Cat before Sansa grabbed her mother. Lyanna had already flung herself at Sandor and was talking rapidly to him. Cat and Sansa walked after them chatting together happily as they usually did. _They have always had a close bond_ , Ned thought with pleasure. Jon was standing apart with his bag over his shoulder and his hands stuffed in his jean pockets. _Okay, it’s obvious she had a good time…time to see how_ _he is_.

“I’m glad to have you back. We all missed you both.” Jon only nodded and then looked at him with that solemn look that Ned had seen so often before. “Are you alright, son? Not sorry to be home, are you?”

“No. That’s not it. I’m glad to be home. A lot happened in a week. I’m still trying to come to terms with some of it, I think. I’m glad they look happy though,” he said gesturing towards his mother and Sandor. “I guess I need a ride to Winterfell to get my car and Ghost.”

“Yes, we figured that.” Ned rubbed the back of his neck. _Just go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room, Ned_. “And what did you think of your father? I know you were upset the other night when you called but since then…do you want…would you like to see him again?”

“Yes, everything is fine now, I suppose. But, he’s not…he’s not like you,” Jon said with that look again.

“It’s alright to care about him, Jon. It’s alright if you grow to love him. He’s your father.”

“I do care about him even though I’ve not known him very long. He’s alright, I guess…he’s just not you. I don’t feel the way about him that I do about you.”

Jon awkwardly cleared his throat and stood there looking at him. He planned to just give Jon a quick hug but wound up holding him more tightly and longer than he normally would’ve done, especially in a crowded airport.

“I love you, Jon. I am glad you’re home again.”

Jon returned the hug with desperate force and Ned held him until he felt the young man’s breath become steady again. When Ned stepped back he decided to aim for an easier topic.

“Seems like Sansa had a good time.”

“Yes, we had a great time together. Thanks for letting her go with me. It would’ve…I couldn’t have handled the past week without her.”

Jon was smiling now and that was what Ned most wanted to see. Sandor and Lyanna had bid them adieu at the exit to go have lunch together. Ned and Cat drove Sansa and Jon to Winterfell.

“We thought you might want to spend the day with us, Jon. I know you’ve been away from home all week but we’d love to catch up with you both,” Cat said.

“No, I’ll be glad to be at Winterfell. I’ve missed everyone. How’s Ghost?”

“Getting bigger and hungry all the time but sweet and well-behaved,” Cat replied.

“And how is Lady?” Sansa asked.

“Not as big and not as hungry, otherwise the same.”

“Where are my siblings? Too busy to greet us?” Sansa asked.

“Robb drove Bran to his soccer game, Rickon and Arya went along. They’ll be home in about an hour,” Ned answered.

“I promised Bran I’d come watch him play,” Jon said with a hint of guilt in his voice.

“Don’t worry about that. The season’s just started. Robb’s keeper for the high school team and Arya’s playing on her school team. Between the three of them, you’ll surely have a chance to see them all play,” Cat told him.

 

After they arrived home, Sansa and Cat went in the house to make a late lunch. Ned and Jon were carrying in the bags and a few gifts Sansa had picked out in Dorne.

“I almost forgot. I was getting your mum’s mail yesterday and there was a letter from Arryn College, a nice fat letter. I’d guess you’ve been accepted if I didn’t already know.” Jon looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Yohn Royce is an old family friend and he’s on the admission’s board. He called me last week and asked about you. They were impressed by your application and scores and he told me they’d be sending you an acceptance letter. I thought this was good news,” he added as he saw the way Jon’s eyes dropped and the smile left his face.

“It is. It’s what I wanted…I thought. I just…I’ll have to think about it. Will you do me a favor and not mention this to Sansa yet?”

“Of course, son. I’ll let you make your decision and discuss it with Sansa when you’re ready.”

 

* * *

**ROBB-**

 

Robb was in a foul mood. He’d been in a pretty foul mood most of the week honestly. He looked over at Jon with Sansa sitting in his lap in the living room after dinner. It was not helping his mood any. He had one hand between her knees and was kissing her neck while the three of them were supposed to be watching a movie. He felt the sudden urge to walk across the room and punch his best friend right in his perfect, white teeth. Margaery had been drug to Lannisport on the Sunset Sea by her parents for Spring Break and couldn’t convince them to let her stay home _or_ take her boyfriend with her. Not that he could have gone… _fucking soccer practice_. Coach Forel thought of nothing but soccer and wouldn’t excuse anyone from soccer who wasn’t a) attending the funeral of immediate family, b) on their own death bed or c) having an organ transplant that day. He thought soccer would be less demanding on his schedule than football. He’d thought wrong. To make it worse, that ass-wipe, Joffrey, was on the team and loved to tell stories about when he dated Margaery in Robb’s hearing. Of course, he’d pushed a bit too far the other day and Robb had ‘accidently’ elbowed him during a scrimmage which had blacked Joffrey’s eye. Coach Forel had kept him 30 minutes after practice to run suicides but it had been worth it to shut the little prick up.

He missed Margaery terribly. He would admit that he was a completely lovesick fool for her and he also had to admit that she had him thoroughly spoiled, sexually speaking. She’d given him a blow job in the airport parking lot the morning of her flight. Of course, he had felt honor-bound to return the favor with at least a hand job and it totally pissed him off that he hadn’t been able to finish getting her off before Loras walked up to his fogged up windows and started pounding on the glass, telling them to finish up so they wouldn’t miss their flight. _Cocksucker could’ve given us a few more minutes_. In truth, Robb liked Loras just fine but he’d been missing Margaery for six days now and the memory of their rushed goodbye and unfinished business still rankled.

Sansa was giggling and Jon’s hand had moved further up her leg between her thighs. Robb let out an irritated huff.

“You two have fun down in Dorne?” he said with a sneer.

“Loads,” Sansa said with an irritating smirk. “You should ask Jon about the deserted island we visited.”

Robb shot Jon a death glare at that and Jon leaned back from Sansa and moved his hand back to his own lap.

“Um, when’s Margaery return?” Jon asked.

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Robb said feeling somewhat pleased that he’d at least made Jon uncomfortable. _Less than 24 hours…you can wait that long, Stark…right?_ “Hey, did you ever hear from Arryn College?” he asked. He’d been worrying over whether Jon would be going there or Riverlands a lot this past week.

“Uh, no…not yet. It may be Riverlands for us both.”

That made Robb smile but he had the sudden suspicion that Jon wasn’t being entirely honest with him. Before he could press the matter though, his phone dinged with a text from Margaery.

 **MARGAERY: 8:48PM** I miss you, lover. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

There was a picture attached…Margaery had sent a selfie to him, a _naked_ selfie. Robb thought he might swallow his own tongue for a moment. _Fucking minx_ , he thought with a grin spreading across his face.

 **ROBB: 8:49PM** Why do you want to hurt me like that? I’m already dying here.

 **MARGAERY: 8:50PM** Didn’t want you to forget what all you’re missing. No tan lines…they have a nude beach here. Ask your mom if you can stay a little later tomorrow night. I’ve got plans for you.

 **ROBB: 8:51PM** I love you.

 **MARGAERY: 8:52PM** I love you, too.

“Hey, Mom! I need to ask you something…” he hollered as he got up and headed towards the kitchen.

 

* * *

**SANDOR-**

 

Lyanna had talked non-stop from the time he’d met her at the airport until the server brought the check from their lunch.

 _She’s the only woman I could ever stomach so much chatter from. Shit, it must be love to listen to so much talking all the fucking day long. As soon as Shae would open her_ _mouth, I was reaching for a beer_.

Sandor had already dismissed Lyanna’s ‘issue’ with Jon’s father. His first wife, Ros, had cheated on him from the get-go of their marriage… _fucking whore_. Some guy kissing Lyanna was not the same thing at all as his first wife sleeping with his partner at the time…or half a dozen other guys. After their divorce, he’d had an affair with his second partner, Tysha. She’d been quite the firecracker but it fizzled when she moved away a few months later. His second wife, Shae had seemed like a good match at first but they soon learned to their sorrow that his moodiness and her quick temper were not what happy marriages were made of. Lyanna wasn’t really like Ros, Shae or Tysha. They were all tough women, very independent and they didn’t take shit off anyone.  He didn't have a problem with that but there was something about Lyanna that set her apart from them.  She was delicate, fragile in a way that they never were but she could be strong, too. Sandor found he liked the contradiction of frailty and strength in a single woman. She had little experience with cops but she seemed better suited to being a cop’s wife…well, girlfriend, than the other two. She was loving, too, once he’d reached that part of herself that she kept closely guarded.

After Shae, he’d about given up on the notion of women all together. _With this face, I’m surprised I managed to get two wives and a lover…I never_ _expected to find another woman_. Sandor was not a bad looking man except for the burned side of his face but it never occurred to him that there were some women who found him appealing, the enormous man who was also damaged and vulnerable in his own way. When he and Lyanna had met again after Ramsey’s attack and gotten to know one another better, things started to develop rather quickly. Once he finally got up the nerve to ask her out, he was still surprised she’d said yes. He was a goner soon after that. She was exactly what he needed and she needed him. She relished his strength and steadiness. She said it kept her centered. There was no way he could turn Lyanna Snow away over a kiss with another man now, especially if she’d not even initiated it. She was ten years his junior and very pretty with her light brown hair and brown eyes, slender and petite. Over 20 years of being a cop had given him plenty of experience of dealing with people with emotional or psychological issues. It didn’t scare him off. And he could deal with all the chattiness, too.

Jon was another matter. A boy who lacked a steady mother and had never known his father until recently was usually a recipe for disaster in his teen years. But that wasn’t Jon. Ned and Cat had done an excellent job raising the young man. While Jon still had a lot of doubts and uncertainty thanks to years of Lyanna’s flighty behavior, he was a good person and Sandor found that he had grown to love the boy more than he would’ve expected in the few months he’d been with Lyanna. He’d given up on the notion of children after Shae. Now, he wondered if Jon would ever look at him the way he looked at Ned Stark. True, he’d never change diapers or take Jon to his first ball game or have ‘the talk’ with him about girls but he liked to idea of being a father figure to him all the same.

And now, Sandor found that he had another young man seeking his guidance and opinion that he never would’ve expected…Robb Stark. Since that night at the hospital, Robb had called him on and off to talk to him about things. But lately, Robb was asking all sorts of questions about law enforcement…about a career in law enforcement.

 _Heir to a fucking fortune and Daddy’s business just waiting on him to finish college and he wants to earn peanuts as a beat cop...absolutely stark raving mad_.

Sandor hoped college would soon distract Robb. Maybe he’d find another thing that interested him. So, maybe part of him hoped just a bit that Robb was serious. It pleased to see such a fine young man with such a great father finding something he admired in Sandor but another part of him didn’t want to face what his parents’ reactions might be. _God, I wouldn’t want to see Cat’s face if Robb mentions being a cop to her_.

It was Sunday afternoon before Sandor had a chance to catch up with Jon. Lyanna had went out shopping and Sandor was alone in the living room cleaning his service weapon. Jon came in and Sandor asked about the trip a bit. Sandor was careful not to push. He’d found Jon brooded enough as it was and pushing uncomfortable topics with him only made it worse. He’d laughed when Jon told him about his first dinner with Rhaegar and the dinner bell.

“A fucking dinner bell? I’m glad I wasn’t there. I would never have kept a straight face.”

Jon got quiet for a moment before he said, “I wish you had been there in a way. You’re good for mum. She seems better, stronger when you’re around.”

“Well, trips to Dorne aside, I’m not going anywhere.”

Jon smiled at that and asked about his Glock. He showed him the gun, let him hold it while going over the basics of gun safety out of habit.

Jon laughed and said, “Ned’s taken Robb and I out hunting and such. I know about gun safety, with rifles at least. I’ve never fired a handgun before though.”

“Well, if you’re interested sometime, I can bring you down to the range where we practice.”

“Yeah, I’d like that. I’m supposed to go meet Sam and Pyp. I’ll be back in time for dinner. Will you tell Mum?”

“Sure, Jon. We’ll be waiting for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon's not going to keep hiding the college news. He'll tell her soon, I promise.


	29. Springtime Peace Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV
> 
> He and Sansa discuss prom with Marg and college together. Some factory drama.

April had arrived but the last of the snow still hadn’t melted in the woods and fields around Wintertown even as the trees started sprouting new buds and early flowers began to bloom. But it was a pleasant afternoon as Margaery, Sansa and Jon made their way down to the soccer field. They had stayed to watch the Wolves first match of the season. Sansa had stayed mostly to be with Jon and support Robb but Jon truly enjoyed soccer. The Wolves had just scored a tying goal and Jon had stood to cheer and then sat back down with Sansa and Margaery.

“I can’t believe I just cheered for that prick,” he said as Joffrey was being high-fived on the pitch by a couple of his teammates.

“It was a good goal. It can’t be helped that Joffrey was the one who scored it. Just tell yourself you’re supporting our team,” Margaery said.

As soon as the Cerwyn Knights kicked off, their striker had a breakaway and charged past the defense with an excellent opportunity to get the go ahead goal. But Robb was an excellent keeper and he smothered the shot with ease. He gave the opposing striker a cheeky grin as he punted the ball back down field to his teammates. Jon, Sansa and Margaery were all on their feet to cheer loudly for Robb. Jon had kept his promise to Bran the past two weeks and attended his last three matches. He’d also made managed to make it to two of Arya’s games. Sansa was making an effort to learn about the game from him and she also wanted to support her siblings but he knew this wasn’t something she really enjoyed. He loved the way she was willing to do stuff that he liked.

“You came to all those basketball games just to watch me cheer,” Sansa said when he mentioned it.

“Yeah, well, I usually got nicely compensated for my time after the games,” Jon said with a grin. Then he asked, “What do you want to do tonight after the match? Do you have much homework?”

“Yeah, quite a bit. Would you want to come over and study with me?”

“Sure. I’d be happy to be with you. I’ve got a paper to work on for Physics anyway,” he said with a barely suppressed groan.

Robb had made another good save and after standing to cheer him, Margaery leaned over to Jon and Sansa. “What are you plans for prom?”

“We’re going there together and I made some dinner reservations. That’s about it,” Jon said with an embarrassed air.

He didn’t know what Sansa might be expecting out of prom night. He hadn’t gone to prom last year and probably wouldn’t be planning to go this year if it weren’t for Sansa. _She_ _probably expects something really romantic but I don’t have a clue what to do that isn’t cliché_.

“Cancel your reservations. I’ve made plans and Robb and I want to be with you guys,” Margaery said.

“What type of plans?” Sansa asked.

“My parents are going to Volantis for that whole week and Loras is planning to stay at Renly’s for the weekend. Robb and I plan to make an appearance at the dance and then we’re ordering take-out and watching movies before heading upstairs for more…um, personal activities,” she said with a hint of a blush. _I don’t think I’ve ever seen Margaery_ _Tyrell blush at anything_. “Anyway, there’s plenty of spare rooms and you can stay the night there.”

“What about your grandmother?”

“Sansa, honey…you’ve met my grandmother, right?”

“Yeah…okay, I take your point.”

“You’ll be golden. Granny loves meeting handsome young men. She’ll probably be making suggestions of what you should do with him,” she said giving Jon a wink.

“Margaery!” Sansa giggled.

Jon suddenly wondered about this grandmother of Margaery’s again. _Holy shit, this sounds awkward_. But Margaery was persistent.

“It beats a crappy hotel room and it sure as hell beats a backseat. Come on! We’ll all have fun together and then I promise you two can have fun alone together.”

Sansa gave him a questioning look. “Okay with me,” he said. “Whatever you want, sweet girl.”

“Alright, Marg. Sounds fun. But I’ve got to clear it with Mom.”

Margaery squealed with delight. “Oh, good! I’ll call her if you like!”

 _God, please let our room be far from theirs or I’ll be worrying that Robb’s coming to beat the shit out of me all night_.

 

Friday night found them alone in his car as Sansa’s curfew grew closer. He’d taken Sansa out to eat after he’d left Ned’s office and then they’d went bowling with Sam and his girlfriend, Gilly. Edd and some of the guys from the factory happened to be there as well knocking back a few beers. Jon had introduced Sansa to Edd and Yoren. Rast had been there as well but no way was he introducing that dickhead to Sansa. On the drive back to Winterfell, Jon had decided a stop at Alyssa’s Fields where Bran played soccer might be nice, especially since no one else was there that late but them.

“Personally, I don’t mind your backseat one bit. But this would be a bit difficult in my prom dress,” Sansa said in a muffled voice as she was busy pulling her sweater back over her head.

“I couldn’t agree more. I may have to keep this car for the rest of my life. Too many good memories to just let it go.”

Sansa giggled and stroked his new beard. “Jon, did you ever receive a letter from Arryn College?”

 _Shit. This again_. “Uh…”

“It just seems strange that they wouldn’t send anything yet. Not even a rejection letter…of course that would suck but it’s rude to get nothing back by now.”

 _Fuck…stop hiding from this_. “Uh, Sansa…I did get a letter, weeks ago. It was waiting on me when we got back from Dorne.” Sansa’s eyes got wide and he continued, “They accepted me. I didn’t want to tell you because I’m still not sure what to do. I’m sorry for lying about it and keeping it a secret though.”

Sansa’s lips formed a thin line and her eyes turned an icy blue. “Okay…you didn’t have to lie about it. I…you know what, it’s alright. It’s your decision,” she said with a terribly fake smile then.

“Please don’t do that, sweet girl. I know you’re mad. You’ve got every right to be mad at me. I’m an idiot for keeping it from you. Yell at me if you want. I still don’t know what to do though.”

Sansa opened her mouth as if she would indeed start yelling at him but then shut it again. Then, to Jon’s horror, she started crying.

“Oh, fuck. This is the last thing I want! Please, don’t cry, sweetheart. I’ll go to Riverlands. We’ll be together year after next and Robb and I’ll get an apartment and you can stay there, too…if you want.”

“No, Jon,” she said drying her tears. “I’m sorry I’m crying…I just hate the thought of being separated from you at all, wherever you are. Go to Arryn College. It’s a big deal to be accepted there. I’ll be so proud of you, my brilliant man. I could maybe apply there, too, but I might not get in.”

“They don’t have dance or interior design courses…I checked.”

“It’ll be okay. We can make this work.” She put her hand with the ring he’d given her in his hand and lifted it up between them. “Promise?” she asked.

Jon sighed and said, “I promise. We’ll make it work wherever we are.”

 

Jon headed to the factory in the pre-dawn chill the next morning wishing Wintertown was big enough to hold more than a community college. Mr. Thorne had finally stopped badgering and belittling Jon all day long…just most of the day.

“Snow, get down to the dock to help unload the delivery truck! And try not to drop anything this time!” _Never going to let that go, are you?_

Rast was there already with Karl Tanner and Small Paul. Small Paul was a bit dim…to put it mildly. He was also the size of Sandor. Some comedian at the factory had nicknamed him Small Paul years ago and the name had stuck. Tanner and Rast were tight and neither were friendly with Jon. But whereas Rast wasn’t much brighter than Small Paul and just a weasel really, Tanner was clever and seemed like a more dangerous sort of man all together. Edd had mentioned Tanner had done time in prison. For what exactly, Edd had failed to say.

“Ah, look, Karl. Thorne’s sent us Stark’s boy to help.” Karl looked at Jon with a smirk but then kept working. “You should’ve gone bowling with us last night, Karl. You could’ve met Snow’s girl. Not that he would’ve introduced her to the likes of you. He didn’t introduce her to me, just Tollett and old Yoren. Lovely little piece.”

“His girl, eh? Your girl pretty, Snow?” Karl asked with a smile that made Jon uncomfortable. He kept working on unloading the truck and didn’t answer. _Don’t…don’t…don’t…_

“You’d like her Karl. Pretty red head…very pretty red head. Sansa Stark.”

“Stark? You fuck your sister, Snow?”

“She’s not my sister,” Jon growled out. _Not another word. Ignore them. Unload the truck and go back to the factory floor_.

“So, you’re not Stark’s bastard? Well, I suppose I can believe that. I do like redheads though…lucky you.”

They soon stopped talking to Jon and he was relieved. _Almost done_. Rast was talking about some new pizza place he’d went to and Karl seemed to be only half listening. “You know what’s better than a good slice of pizza, Karl? A slice of strawberry tart,” Rast said as he looked at Jon with a shit-eating grin.

“Hmmm. That does sound sweet,” Karl was smiling and looking at Jon now, too. “I’d love a taste of something like that.”

“A nice slice of strawberry tart like I saw last night at the bowling alley. Tell me, Snow…she got a tight fit to go along with those perky tits?”

Jon was not really even aware of moving. One minute he was unloading the last box and the next he was on top of Rast hitting him over and over with blind fury. Then, Small Paul was yanking him up and throwing him off of Rast and yelling at them all to stop. Karl shoved Jon into the back of the truck and started hitting him as Rast came over to help pin his arms back. They probably would’ve beaten him to a pulp if Small Paul and the delivery driver hadn’t intervened. He could barely see out of his left eye it was so swollen. His nose and lips were bloody and his jaw ached but he didn’t think he’d come off as badly as he and Robb had when they’d fought Ramsey and his friends. _At least Tanner didn’t_ _stab me. He looked like he would’ve though_.

Edd dragged Jon to the employee locker room to clean him up and see to his cuts and bruises, clucking all the while at him like his mother would’ve. Yoren poked his head in and told Jon to report to Thorne’s office.

“Whatever they did, they’re going to blame this on you. You know that, right?” Edd said, still dabbing at his eye.

“Yeah.”

“Alright, kid. This is the best I can do at the moment. I have a feeling you’re not going to be working the rest of the day regardless.”

“I’m sure you’re right. Thanks, Edd.”

Jon sat in Thorne’s tiny office looking at the safety awards and management accolades Thorne had earned over his 30 years with the company. He could hear the mumbled voices of Rast and Tanner and the much louder voice of Thorne in the small conference room through the closed door. When Thorne opened the door to where he sat, Jon saw Rast and Tanner heading back out to the floor.

“Get your stuff and go home. I called Mr. Stark earlier. I don’t want you back here and I told him as much.” Thorne stopped for a minute and looked at him, “I’d guess you’re not entirely at fault but it doesn’t matter. You being here causes nothing but trouble.”

Jon hung his head and headed toward the door trying not to think of facing a disappointed Ned. He was determined to at least walk out the door with some dignity and he headed to the locker room to grab his jacket when he heard Ned’s voice calling him from the floor.

“Jon, come here.” _Shit! What’s he doing here?_ Yoren was standing next to Ned but moved away when Jon approached. He couldn’t look Ned in the eye at the moment. The feeling of letting him down was unbearable. Ned put two fingers under his chin though and lifted his face up. He gave Jon’s face a close look and gently touched his eye until Jon winced. Ned’s eyes were a stormy grey. “Is it true what Thorne says? You threw the first punch?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“They said some stuff. Well, Rast said some stuff. I lost my temper.”

“They said some stuff? What stuff?”

Jon looked around uncomfortably. They were standing in the middle of the factory floor. “I’d rather not answer that right now.”

“Well, _I’d rather_ you tell me _right now_ ,” Ned said with heat this time.

“Rast said stuff about Sansa.”

“Oh? He did, did he? And you felt that you needed to hit him for this stuff?”

“Yes, I guess I thought that. I’m sorry, Ned.”

Ned chuckled and didn’t let him continue. He put his arm around Jon and said, “Alright then. Let’s get you home and cleaned up. Cat’s going to have a fit when she sees you and then Sansa will probably have a bigger fit.”

Jon glanced around and whispered, “Am I still fired then?”

“From the factory? Oh, yes. But not from the office.”

“I’m sorry I let you down.”

“You didn’t let me down, Jon. You stood up for my daughter. That matters more to me. But I can’t play favorites down here and no fighting is one of the rules. You admitted you threw the first punch.” Jon hung his head again but Ned just hugged him tighter. “The office internship is a better fit for you anyway and there’s plenty of jobs you can find to supplement your income over the summer. And don’t worry, I don’t think this’ll keep you out of law school,” Ned said with another laugh.

 

Mr. Baelish had returned to teaching at school after Spring Break. The first week back Jon had asked Sansa every afternoon if he’d bothered her any.

“I’m not even in his class anymore, Jon. I promise to tell you if he does anything but he’s blessedly not even acknowledging my existence when we’ve passed in the hallway.” _Good_. It still didn’t stop him and Robb from shooting daggers at him with their eyes all through Lit class. _This probably won’t help our Lit grades but maybe it’ll keep him in line_. He didn’t seem keen to interact with either one of them anyway and Principal Mormont seemed to have taken a sudden interest in Literature as he was often stopping by their class to observe or ‘popping in for a few minutes’.

 

Since Jon was free the following Saturday, he was able to catch Bran and Arya’s games before heading to Wintertown P.D.’s shooting range with Sandor. Robb had begged to tag along when he found out what Jon was doing. Sandor introduced them to some of the guys from the department and the lone female officer on the range that afternoon, Dacey Mormont, a niece of their principal. Then, Sandor pulled out his service weapon and walked them through the basics of loading and firing it before letting them both take turns. He then pulled out his personal handgun.

“This is a Glock 19. It’s not as powerful as the 22 but it’s easier to conceal. I like to carry it off duty.” Jon and Robb both got the chance to try it.

“What gun is she using?” Robb asked motioning towards the Dacey.

“That’s a Sig Sauer P226. Dacey, can the boys see your Sig?”

“Sure, Cap,” the lady officer said as she came over and showed them her personal weapon. “I prefer the Sig. It’s got plenty of power but less kick than the Glock when fired. My accuracy is better with the Sig.”

“Bullshit, Mormont. Your accuracy is deadly with either. Sig’s are too pretty for me. Give me a Glock any day.”

“You’re too old-fashioned, Clegane.” Sandor had chuckled at that and told them it was probably time to get headed.

“Do you think I’m crazy for being interested in being a cop? Or maybe another area of law enforcement?” Robb asked as Jon drove them back to Winterfell.

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy but I know Cat won’t like it. Do you think Margaery would approve?”

“I don’t know. I’m kind of scared to mention it. And I’m worried about what Dad will think.”

“Well, of the three, I’d start with him,” Jon said. “So, you’re not pissed at my decision, are you?”

“No, not really but I’m going to miss you next year, brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The factory stuff is mostly wrapped up at this point. I just wanted to introduce more Nights Watch characters when I originally introduced them but I felt I needed to sum up Jon's dealings there. His watch is ended...lol. Plus, I love a hot-headed Jon so I thought a fight was a good way to get him out of there.


	30. Melt Away My Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa at therapy and then Jon and Sansa visit Arryn College with Ned and Cat.
> 
> Multiple character POVs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hinted smut for the grown-ups...avert your eyes, children!

**SANSA-**

 

Sansa watched the tiny remaining icicles dripping away outside the window of Dr. Lannister’s waiting room until they had disappeared completely. Today was the warmest day so far this year and Sansa was wearing a skirt and light-weight sweater. No jacket had been needed. After six months of therapy, she was going to miss Tyrion but she felt ready to move on. This was to be their last session and Jon had come along for support, and because he was her ride as usual. Her parents had told her they’d look into getting her a car after school was out. What they hadn’t said was that it would become necessary for her to have her own wheels once Jon and Robb left for college in September. She didn’t like to think about it. She liked to pretend it was something still terribly far away but she could almost hear time marching on while she sat.

 

Jon was still going to joint therapy with Lyanna once a week and was continuing his individual therapy twice a month. She was proud that he was sticking with it to help his mother and to help himself deal with the turmoil of emotions the trip to Dorne had brought. He had talked with his father a few times since their return but they were still trying to really get to know each other and there were awkward silences at times, he had said.

“I mean, the phone just isn’t the same as being with a person. How the hell are you supposed to know what all’s going on with a person by talking to them for ten minutes over the phone?” He realized the moment it was out of his mouth how it had sounded to her. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes began to tear up at once. “Sansa…shit, I’m sorry! That was fucking stupid of me to say. It won’t be like that for us. We already know each other well and we’ll talk every day, not just every week or so. Ah, fuck, sweetheart…” he trailed off as he held her in his arms, trying to stop her tears.

She forced herself to stop crying. _Stop being such a baby, Sansa_. “It’s alright. I took it the wrong way. We’ll talk every day. We’ll bore each other to tears going over the minutia of our day,” she said with what she hoped was a convincing laugh.

That had been last night and doubt had been gnawing at her ever since. _Maybe I’m_ not _ready to leave Tyrion behind yet_.

 

She looked over at Jon reading through a course catalog from Arryn College that had arrived yesterday. She was happy for him but terrified, too. Her parents had offered to take him for a campus visit this weekend and Sansa was going to be going as well. Prom would be the following Saturday at the end of April. Robb had already visited Riverlands multiple times over the years so he’d declined their parents’ offer of another visit there. She knew her brother was dealing with his own emotions about leaving home, going there without Jon and leaving Margaery in Wintertown. Sansa was so lost in her thoughts as she watched Jon that she didn’t realize he’d glanced up at her and noticed her staring. He was smiling warmly at her and when he spoke to her she gave a startled leap.

“What are you thinking, pretty girl?”

“I’m thinking about you and next year,” she admitted and winched at the hitch in her voice. Jon moved over closer on the couch and put an arm around her.

“Nothing’s going to change the way I feel about you, you know.”

“I know you say that. And I say that but…what if you meet new people that…what if you meet someone else? You’ll be far from me and home and probably lonely. What if there’s some girl…”

“Not happening.”

“Jon…”

“No, Sansa. It’s not going to happen. There’s no other girl for me out there,” he said earnestly as he touched her face and held her gaze with his. _How can his eyes look so much_ _darker when he’s passionate about something? I feel like he could swallow me whole with the intensity of his gaze_. He leaned in and gently brushed her lips with his before he spoke again. “I hope I make some friends there. I’ll be busy with school work and such but I expect I’ll meet people and some of them are bound to be female…but I _love_ _you_. I’m going to _marry_ _you_. I will _never_ cheat on you. There’s no other girl for me, Sansa. I’m yours forever even if you someday decide you don’t want me anymore.”

The tightness that had been sitting in her chest since the night before suddenly shifted. Sansa thought it was as though there had been a piece of rope tied tightly around her heart that was suddenly cut lose and she could breathe again… _just like an icicle melting away_.

She moved to wrap her arms around him and kissed him back ardently before she said, “I’ll always want you. I’ll always love you. There’s no one else for me either.”

The door opened to Tyrion’s office before they could continue their kissing and Dr. Lannister ushered her in for her appointment.

“So, are you really ready to move on after today?” he began.

“Yes, Tyrion. I’m ready now.”

 

* * *

**CATELYN-**

 

Cat felt the familiar ache in her loins diminishing as Ned rolled to his back early on Saturday morning. It was a good ache. One she’d felt countless times but she never tired of. He laid there holding her hand before he said a bit breathlessly, “I like this sort of wake up best.”

“I’m aware of that, Ned Stark. It’s why we have five children,” she said with a smirk.

As soon as she said it though, she thought of Jon… _six children_. Cat’s smirk fled and her breath caught in her throat.

“What’s wrong, my love?”

Ned was an observant man. Some of the wives Cat knew would laugh about how their husbands noticed nothing…new clothes, new haircuts, new routines with the children…new love interests…they thought it was funny how clueless their men were. Ned wasn’t like them. He noticed everything and Catelyn loved him fiercely for it. _He notices because he_ _truly cares_.

“I’m thinking about today, about Jon...and Robb…” She was a strong woman and tears did not come easily to her. But when they came, they were hard to stop. “My boys…” she said as she wept.

“We knew this day would come, Cat. They don’t stay little forever,” he murmured as he held her closely.

“I know but I will miss them both so much.”

“Me, too, love.”

There was a sudden loud banging at the door. “MOM!!! Bran wore my soccer socks last night and I don’t have any clean ones for my match now!!!” Arya was shouting.

Cat laughed softly and dried her tears. “You know, there are times, occasionally, that I look forward to the peace and quiet of a house with no children in it. When you and I can lay in bed on a Saturday morning without any interruptions.”

“Me, too, love,” Ned said with a chuckle this time. “Me, too.”

 

* * *

**SANDOR-**

 

Lyanna was sniffling quietly in his arms after her cry. “I’m sorry to be such a mess this morning,” she said with a final sob.

“It’s alright, Lyanna. You’re always a bit of a mess,” Sandor said with a grin.

She playfully slapped his shoulder and said, “Thanks for that, you old hound.”

“You couldn’t get any more time off from work. Stop beating yourself up about this. He’ll go with Ned and Cat and get his tour. He’ll be home tomorrow night and you can grill him all about it then. We can take him down to the station for a proper interrogation if you like.”

“You know he can’t stand it when I ask too many questions,” Lyanna said with a laugh.

“Yes, but it doesn’t stop you,” he responded with another grin as he nuzzled her neck and ran a hand downward…downward.

“Sandor, I’m trying to wallow in self-pity about my only child going off to college and you’re…oh…you can’t just…oh, God…don’t stop…that…”

_No self-pity today, my sweet_.

 

After showering and getting dressed, Sandor found Jon waiting in the living room for Ned, Cat and Sansa to pick him up. It was almost 9:00 and they were supposed to arrive any moment.

“You all packed and ready then?”

“Yeah. It’s just an overnight trip. Not much to pack.”

“You say goodbye to your mum yet?”

“Yeah. She wished me a safe trip and seemed pretty happy. It was weird…but a good weird. She usually gets all weepy about this kind of stuff.”

_You’re welcome_ , Sandor thought with a smile. “Looks like they’re here,” Sandor said as he saw Ned’s SUV turn into the driveway. “Have a good time, Jon.”

“Thanks, Sandor. Um, I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Jon picked up his bag and started towards the door but then froze.

“You forget something?” Sandor asked.

“Yeah,” Jon said before he walked back over and hugged him. “I forgot that.”

Sandor felt a lump forming in his throat. _Fuck me…didn’t expect that_. He ran a hand through Jon’s hair and patted him on the back before clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Go on then. Go see what you think of that fancy college. Tell me all about it when you get back, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll do that.”

 

* * *

**SANSA-**

 

The Vale of Arryn was like something out of the tales of old that Sansa loved as a little girl, green hills and majestic snow-capped mountains as far as the eye could see. It was perpetually misty looking to her eyes but the soft green landscape was beautiful and she half expected to see a knight in shining armor riding along the hills on his warhorse. _There should be a lonely tower over that hill with a fair maiden waiting to be rescued by the knight_. Sansa laughed softly at herself and her fantasy.

“What’s funny?” Jon whispered from the seat next to her.

“Nothing. It’s very pretty here, romantic looking. Are you sure they don’t offer Interior Design?”

Jon chuckled and said, “Were you dreaming of knights and damsels in distress, princess?”

Sansa felt her cheeks redden. “How did you…”

“From the age of 3 until about 9 or so, all you talked about were knights and ladies and tournaments and princesses and such. You drove Robb and me crazy with it.”

Sansa laughed and said, “I’d forgotten how consumed I was with it. Arya never wanted to be a princess with me. She only wanted to be a dragon and she tried to throw my dolls in the fire place. But you and Robb humored me and would play at sword fights for me.”

“I confess that mostly we just enjoyed beating each other with wooden swords,” he said wryly.

Sansa reached over and took his hand. “It’s nice here,” she said.

“Not as nice as a deserted island,” he replied with a mischievous smile.

 

Arryn College was over 300 years old but it was a small college still with only around 1000 students enrolled. _Not much larger than our high school_ , Sansa thought. There were six educational buildings, two dormitories, a library and a student center to tour. The small town nearby, Stone, had a little entertainment to offer in the form of three bars, half a dozen restaurants and a movie theater. About an hour away though, there was a larger town with more things to do. _An hour in the wrong direction though_. They had toured most of the campus by 6 o’clock and headed to their hotel for the night. Her father had arranged for a luncheon with Yohn Royce the next day before they headed home so Jon might have a chance to talk to someone connected with the school and also so her dad could catch up with his old friend.

The Mountain of the Moon Inn was small and old-fashioned but very lovely. It had a restaurant where the four of them ate dinner. Afterwards, Sansa and her mother moved to the hotel’s large front porch to look out over the mountain vistas.

“Mom, how many rooms did Dad get?”

“Three, Sansa. One for us, one for you and one for Jon.”

“Seems like a waste of money,” Sansa said slipping her mother a sideways glance.

Cat’s lips twitched into a quick smile that she squashed just as quickly when she said, “Humor your poor father, dear. This way you can go to your room and Jon can go to his and your father will sleep peacefully. Once your father and I are in bed, we don’t really need to know if you stayed put or not.” Sansa grinned broadly and kissed her mother. “And don’t mention prom night to your father. I’ve told him you’re staying over at Margaery’s but he’s no idiot. At least allow him to pretend it’s as innocent as that.”

“Yes, Mother.”

 

Sansa was lying in bed randomly flipping channels on the television when her phone dinged.

**JON: 11:58PM** Well?

**SANSA: 11:58PM** I said goodnight over an hour ago. It sounds quiet in their room.

**JON: 11:59PM** I’m coming over. I don’t want to knock.

**SANSA: 12:10AM** Where are you?

**JON: 12:11AM** Ned came out of their room as I passed. Said he was getting ice. I had to pretend I wanted a soda.

**SANSA: 12:12AM** Okay. Try again in a bit?

**JON: 12:12AM** You bet.

Sansa was getting drowsy when her phone finally dinged again.

**JON: 12:37AM** Unlock your door.

**SANSA: 12:37AM** Okay.

Sansa was standing by her door watching through the peephole. Her heart was pounding with excitement. She could hear a door open quietly and started to open her own when she heard another door open. _Oh, shit!_ She could hear her father’s voice and then Jon’s. Jon moved down the hallway past her door and then returned. She heard one door close and then another.

**SANSA: 12:43AM** Dad again?

**JON: 12:43AM** Yes. I said I was getting ice for my soda…of course I forgot to get the ice bucket. He gave me his. I’m sorry. Good night, sweet girl. I love you.

Sansa huffed in annoyance and disappointment but then texted a reply.

**SANSA: 12:44AM** Okay. I love you, too.

 

* * *

**CATELYN-**

 

Catelyn was tired of this game and she was just plain tired. It had been an awfully long day.

“Ned, you are down-right cruel, my love. No compassion for young lovers?”

“Nope, none at all tonight,” he chuckled.

“Have some compassion for old lovers then and come to bed,” she said with a smile as she patted the empty space next to her.

“Well, in that case…”

 

* * *

 

**JON-**

He startled awake and looked at the clock by the bed. _1:15AM. God, I’m tired. Wait…was that my phone that woke me?_ He grabbed it off the nightstand.

**SANSA: 1:14AM** I’m coming to you. Open the door.

Jon stumbled out of bed and ran to his door. She was already standing outside. He tried to open it quietly but the hinges seemed to shriek loud enough to wake the dead. At least it sounded that way to him. He rapidly motioned Sansa in and closed it. The hinges shrieked once more. He stood at the door with his ear pressed against it waiting to hear Ned. Sansa laughed and put her arms around him.

“Too tired?” she asked all innocent and doe-eyed.

“Not anymore,” he said with a big smile as he pulled her in for a kiss.


	31. Prom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon, Sansa, Robb and Margaery go to prom. Shenanigans ensue...a fairly long and fluffy chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be posting anymore until after Christmas but then I'll get on track to finish getting this one out. There's 9 (I think) chapters to go after this one. Thanks to everyone who's sticking with this long story! After this chapter, the drama will increase and Ramsey will finally return a few chapters from now.

**SANSA-**

 

Sansa walked out of the salon with Margaery into the April sunshine feeling glorious. Her fingernails and toenails were freshly polished and her hair had been styled and curled and would look fantastic with her dress later that day. Her strapless and clingy black gown would work well with her hair down. Sansa knew Jon loved her hair down, cascading around her shoulders, and had chosen the dress with that in mind. Margaery’s wavy brown tresses were styled into a beautiful partial up-do with a good amount of curls left to hang down her back. Sansa thought Margaery’s pale-pink, sleeveless chiffon gown would go well with the look.

“We look amazing! Let’s go have a late lunch somewhere so people can stop and stare at us and ask for autographs,” Margaery said laughingly.

Sansa was working on her chef’s salad on the patio at the Rose and Lion restaurant when Margaery gave a groan.

“What’s that ass doing here?”

Sansa looked over her shoulder and spotted Joffrey eating with an older blond woman who could only be his mother.

“Just ignore him,” Sansa said.

“Ignore him? Robb got kicked off the soccer team because of him. Joffrey made another comment in his presence about what an easy lay I was. So, Robb _laid_ into him in front of the coach. He’d already gotten into trouble once over hitting him and it was the final straw.”

“I know, Marg. I was there when he came home and told Mom and Dad. I don’t think Robb cared. He loves soccer but I don’t think he liked Coach Forel much. Besides, he loves you more.” Sansa couldn’t help but think of Jon’s fight at the factory. _At least he’s all healed up now. Joffrey looks a bit battered still…just in time for prom_ , Sansa thought with a spiteful grin. “He told Dad he wants to get a part-time job anyway but for now it gives you more free time together at least.”

“I just wish my sexual misadventures weren’t the cause of him missing out on something he loves. Oh, fuck me…that little shit is coming over here.”

Sure enough, Joffrey was heading their way with his usual smug look on his face.

“Well, well…don’t you ladies look lovely. Getting all done up for prom? Sansa, you really should’ve went with me. Snow’s probably lucky if he can afford to take you to the taco stand and he’ll be fondling you in the backseat of his car like some cheap hooker. I’d take you to a five-star restaurant and get us a suite at the best hotel in town.”

Sansa felt her face getting red and was frustrated that she could never come up with a good comeback when Joffrey started taunting her.

“Oh, Jon’s going to take her somewhere more private after prom tonight, much better than a hotel. They won’t be dining at a restaurant though…take-out is much more accommodating for what they’ve got planned,” Margaery was saying. She gave Joffrey a wicked smiled and continued, “Sansa, I know Jon’s your one and only but let me just share this little bit of knowledge with you…size really does matter it turns out. From what you’ve told me, dear, sounds like Jon’s got, um…everything you need to keep you well satisfied. Now, Joffrey here…um…rather disappointing, I’m afraid. Your brother on the other hand…Oh, my! Not disappointing at all! Sorry if that’s more than you wanted to hear, darling.”

Sansa thought she would choke on her tea as she tried not to laugh. Joffrey’s whole face had turned red and he was clenching his fists. _If he tries to hit her, I’m going to jump_ _over this table and strangle him_. Joffrey’s mother appeared behind them and gave both girls a cool stare.

“Joffrey, I’m ready. Let’s go.” He stalked after his mother but not before giving Margaery another look.

“I don’t think you should’ve done that, Marg. What if he tries something tonight?”

Margaery laughed and said, “Honey, he’s afraid of your brother. Hell, he’s afraid of _my_ brother. I don’t think I’ve got anything to worry about so long as I stick to Robb like glue tonight…and I’m definitely planning to plaster myself to him tonight.”

 

That evening Jon arrived at Winterfell looking exceptionally dashing in his black tuxedo. His beard was neatly trimmed but his curls were unruly from the evening breeze. _I_ _wouldn’t have it any other way_. He looked sweetly nervous as he helped her with the wrist corsage of red roses. He’d said very little since he arrived and her parents and Arya and the boys and dogs were all making a commotion over them in their formal wear. Robb had taken the rented limousine to pick up Margaery but promised to be back soon with her so their mom could get pictures of them all. Her mom had ran upstairs to fetch her camera and Arya, Bran and Rickon took the dogs out for a walk. Her dad was staring at them both and smiling before he suddenly seemed to think he might need to do something in his study. Alone in the hall for the moment, Jon took her hand and kissed her softly on the lips… _just like the first time he kissed me on my birthday_.

“Thank you,” he said quietly looking at her with such a sweet smile.

“Thank you? For what?”

“For your lovely dress, your beautiful hair and sweet red lips, you’re absolutely gorgeous. I didn’t think I cared about things like prom but seeing you like this is well worth cheesy love songs, bad DJs and paper decorations in the school gym. You are so beautiful. Every guy there, barring your brother, is going to be jealous of me.”

“Jon…I don’t even know what to say…thank you. That is so sweet. You look so handsome in your tux. I’m so happy to be going with you to this.”

Her mom came back downstairs with a camera and a gold locket in her hand. “Here, Sansa, a little something extra to set off the dress. Not that you need it though. It’s mine. You’re father gave it to me after you were born.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Jon helped her put the locket on and then her mother took pictures of the two of them. Robb arrived with Margaery shortly afterwards and had their pictures taken and then her mother took pictures of all four of them together.

“I’d like a copy of that, Cat,” Jon said when they got ready to leave.

“Of course, Jon.”

They were swarmed by the family and dogs again as they moved towards the door to leave. Her father had taken Robb aside to say a few words to him and then did the same with Jon. Then, he came over to kiss her.

“Have a good night, love. See you tomorrow.”

Sansa hugged him before saying, “I will. Love you.”

 

The four of them arrived at the school and made their way to the gym. They danced to a few songs and made the rounds of their friends before finding a table to sit and enjoy some refreshments.

“Okay, who’s ready to leave?” Robb asked with his hand already in the air.

“Robb! One hour...you agreed. We’ve already been here for 30 minutes. Just a bit longer, lover.”

Robb hung his head and sighed dramatically. “Fine…30 more minutes,” he said as he looked at his watch. 

Sansa and Jon had went over to visit with Sam and Gilly who had just arrived when Sansa spotted Joffrey moving towards Margaery sitting alone at the table. Sansa looked around for Robb but he was talking to Grenn about 10 feet away. Sansa clasped Jon’s hand and motioned for him to follow her just as Joffrey threw a cup full of red punch all over Margaery’s back. It covered her hair, the back of her dress and much of the front. Margaery let out a shrill yelp and spun around to find Joffrey smirking at her.

“Sorry, Margaery. That was so clumsy of me,” he said in a mocking tone. “Good thing you probably weren’t planning to keep that dress on long tonight anyway.”

Sansa felt Jon’s hand leave hers as he sprinted over to Joffrey and shoved him to the floor.

“JON! Don’t!”

Margaery and Sansa were both yelling as he proceeded to kick Joffrey, repeatedly. Robb had heard the commotion by then and came over. He took one look at Margaery’s ruined dress and Jon kicking a crying Joffrey on the floor and hauled Joffrey bodily to his feet before he punched him square across the jaw. Joffrey collapsed to the floor sobbing again.

“ENOUGH!!!” Principal Mormont had arrived with a couple of other male chaperones and seen more than enough. “You two!” He pointed to Robb and Jon, who were both being held by the chaperones. “You two are suspended…three days! Now, get out of here…IMMEDIATELY!!”

They both shrugged off the men holding them and stalked towards the door. Sansa and Margaery took one look at each other and followed their boyfriends out of the school.

 

There was a tense silence in the limo. The driver had asked where to and Margaery had just asked him to take them to her house. All thoughts of picking up take-out were momentarily forgotten. Jon was brooding in one corner, covering his face. Robb was still glowering at no one in particular, trying to get his breathing under control as he clenched his fists. Margaery was dabbing at her neck with a tissue to try and get the sticky punch off. Sansa was sitting there watching them all when she suddenly let out a terribly unladylike snort and giggled before she clasped a hand over her mouth.

“What’s so fucking funny, Sansa?” Robb huffed.

“Nothing…I’m sorry! It’s just…just thanks for a memorable prom night, you guys,” and she proceeded to double over with laughter then.

Margaery broke next and started laughing until her eyes overflowed with tears. “Oh, God. That was classic! I’ll never forget my prom now.” She then cleared her throat and looked at the guys who were still not amused. “Um, that was totally my fault. We ran into Joffrey earlier today. I said some not very nice things about his manhood and Sansa tried to warn me…” She couldn’t keep talking and just started laughing again.

“You do realize Jon and I just got suspended, right? We’re both 18. What if that little fucker’s mommy decides to press charges against us? Oh, for the love of Christ! Not you, too,” Robb said as Jon had started chuckling.

Jon held up his hands and said, “I’m sorry but Sansa’s right. It was a night to remember.”

Robb sat stone-faced for another minute as they three of them laughed liked fools until he couldn’t stand it anymore and joined them. He sobered after a moment though and said, “You know Dad’s going to be so pissed, Jon. He told us to be gentlemen tonight and all that. And, we’ve both already got into fights lately as it is.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, Robb. I’ll probably feel shitty about this tomorrow but tonight I just want to go have some fun like we planned and stop worrying about Joffrey Lannister for now.”

“Jon’s right, lover. Let’s go have our after party. Right, Sansa?”

Sansa nodded and smiled at her brother.

Robb smiled again and said, “Hey, I know you wanted fancy take-out, sweetheart, but I’m starving. Want to go by that taco stand?”

Sansa and Margaery both shrieked with renewed laughter before telling the driver the change of plan as the guys looked on in confusion.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

The front door of the Tyrell mansion swung open suddenly as a tall man with dark brown hair and blue eyes stood before them looking Margaery over.

“What the hell happened to your dress? Loras! Get your ass out here and take a look at your sister’s dress.”

Loras appeared behind the man and gasped, “What the fuck, Margy?”

“Joffrey,” Margaery grumbled. “I don’t want to talk about it. What are you doing here?”

“Sitting with Granny until you kids got back. She said she was lonely but I think she just likes Renly’s attention.”

“ _You kids?_ Are you middle-aged now or something, Loras?” Margaery asked with a smirk.

The other man snickered and kissed Margaery on the cheek. “God, I love you, Marg. Someone has to keep this smart ass in line for me.”

“I thought you liked my smart ass,” Loras said with a huff.

"I love your smart ass…actually, I just love your ass.”

_Oh, my God. It’s like I’ve walked into a reality TV show_ …

“Renly, darling, you remember Sansa?”

“Of, course. Lord, child, you’ve grown since last year in all the right ways. You look fabulous! I could just eat you up and I love your hair!”

He reached over and grabbed a handful of Sansa’s hair and sniffed it. Jon and Robb simultaneously cleared their throats and let out their own huffs of annoyance.

“Um, Renly…this is my boyfriend, Robb Stark, Sansa’s brother. And this is Sansa’s boyfriend, Jon Snow.”

The man, Renly, looked them both over with an appraising eye. _Whoa, this is awkward_. He smiled widely and said, “Look at that, two handsome young men all dressed to kill. You two girls are such lucky little…”

“Okay then! Time to go!” Loras said as he grabbed Renly’s hand and kissed his sister goodnight. “Bye, Granny!” he yelled towards the house as they headed to the Jeep parked at the street.

“Okay, so that’s Loras’s boyfriend, Renly,” Margaery said with a shrug. “And now that you’ve had that fun, time to introduce you to Granny, Jon.”

Jon followed the group into the Tyrell’s living room. It was fancier than the Stark’s living room but Jon found it too fussy. The furniture looked delicate and was all off-white and gold colored with some occasional green thrown in for a little color. But the old lady sitting in on the couch didn’t look delicate at all. She was actually quite formidable looking but wearing a smile.

“There you are at last,” she said as she heaved herself to her feet. “Margaery, dove, what happened to your dress?”

“Some idiot spilled punch on it, Granny.”

“The nerve! Some people really shouldn’t be allowed to breathe, dear. Oh, you’ve brought him back again, I see. Good girl,” she said as she hobbled over to hug Robb.

Jon’s eyes got huge when he saw Margaery’s grandmother’s hands slip from Robb’s back to his ass. _Holy fuck! This is REALLY Awkward!_

“Granny!” Margaery scolded.

“Sorry, dove. He’s all yours.” Robb’s face was as red as Jon had ever seen it and Sansa was trying not to laugh. “Oh, Sansa, sweetness, look at you. You’re a vision.” The old lady’s eyes moved over to Jon. “And who is this lovely boy?”

Margaery smiled apologetically at Jon before saying, “This is Jon Snow, Granny. He’s Sansa boyfriend so keep your hands to yourself.”

The old lady huffed and said, “You’re no fun at all, Margaery.”

“Jon, this is my grandmother, Oleanna Tyrell.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Jon said nervously. _Please, don’t hug me_.

She must’ve read his mind because she laughed and said, “Don’t worry, sweet boy. I’m a lady. I won’t make any moves until we’ve gotten to know one another better.”

_Oh. Shit._ Jon could feel his own face burning now and it was Robb’s turn to laugh.

“You look tired, Granny.”

“Bullshit, Margaery, you just want rid of me. It’s alright, I’m going on to bed. I’m ready for sweet dreams now,” she said with a saucy grin at Robb.

“Oh, my God…” Sansa was whispering under her breath. _My thoughts exactly!_

Oleanna patted Margaery’s cheek and then hair. “You should take a shower, Margaery. You’re all sticky. I’ll bet this one would be happy to join you,” she said with one more leer at Robb before she headed out of the room.

Margaery sighed and said, “Okay, so you’ve met half of my fucked up family now, Jon. Wasn’t that fun? Make yourselves at home, you two. If you want privacy, go to the guest house by the pool. Granny will sit outside your door listening if you pick a room upstairs too close to hers.” _Oh, sweet Jesus…the backseat of my car is sounding better all the_ _time_. “Come on, lover. I need a shower so you can get me all sticky again,” Margaery said with seductive smile at Robb.

Robb blushed and nodded to Jon and Sansa. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he said with a huge grin.

 

Jon and Sansa stood alone in the living room for a minute looking around awkwardly. “So…want to see what the guest house looks like?” he finally suggested.

“Yes, please.”

Sansa took his hand and led him out back to the pool where a cozy looking guest house sat nearby. The door was unlocked and inside was a small sitting room and kitchen. Jon flipped a switch and a lamp by the sofa turned on bathing the room in a soft mellow light. The bedroom and bathroom were just through the doorway. _Perfect…like our own little_ _apartment or something_. Jon locked the door and then decided to put one of the kitchen chairs in front of it as well.

“Go ahead and call me paranoid.”

Sansa laughed and said, “That’s okay. Shut the blinds and pull the curtains, too.”

Jon could feel his heartrate increasing now that they were finally alone. “Sansa, I know this night hasn’t exactly gone as planned.”

“You mean from the moment you launched yourself at Joffrey? Yeah, the dream prom fantasy kind of hit the fan at that point.” Jon started shaking his head with shame until Sansa moved over to him. “Jon, I don’t care. This has been a crazy but fun night. Eating tacos in formalwear outside on a picnic table with you and Robb and Margaery, that’s a memory I’ll never forget. Much better than some fancy dinner at a stuffy restaurant. I love you, I love being with you. And the night’s just getting started.”

Jon looked into her blue eyes, so much darker in the low lighting, and put his hands around her waist.

“Sansa, you’re right. I don’t want anything to take away the good memories from this night.”

He pulled her body closer and leaned in to kiss her. His lips grazed hers, once, twice, before he angled his mouth to possess her own, claiming her fully with his lips alone. Sansa moaned in the back of her throat and pushed her body more firmly up against his. He could feel her breasts through the gown pressed against his chest and could feel his cock getting hard as he moved his tongue over her own. He swept his hands up to her hair to run his fingers through her red silk and let out a moan of his own.

“Sansa, angel…you look so amazing but I can’t wait to get this dress off of you.”

Sansa moved her hands up his chest and fisted his jacket before yanking it over his shoulders. It fell to the floor behind him.

“I was thinking the same thing about you and this tux.”

Jon reached down and untied his bowtie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

“I can’t rip it off. It’s a rental,” he said with a grin.

Sansa giggled as they continued to kiss and she deftly unbuttoned his shirt before pulling it out of his pants and sweeping it over his shoulders to join the jacket on the floor. Jon kicked off his shoes and let Sansa undo his pants so they could fall to the floor. Jon was standing in his undershirt and boxers but Sansa was still in her dress and heels.

“This won’t do,” he said with a smile. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

The bedroom was small but had a queen-sized four poster bed at least. Jon turned on the small lamp on the nightstand. The room was lit with a rosy glow and Sansa stepped out of her heels. She turned her back to him and swept her hair up and over one shoulder.

“Unzip me?”

Jon’s fingers felt clumsy as he reached to up to unzip her gown but the zipper slid down easily. Sansa was wearing a strapless black bra and the black thong this time.

“You are definitely trying to kill me, Miss Stark,” he said as he gently squeezed her ass before turning her to face him. “Can you leave this on for a bit?” he asked as one finger lifted the band of her thong.

“Yes…” she answered with a smirk. “The bra, too?”

“No, I think that needs to come off at once.”

Sansa reached back and unfastened her bra. It fell to the floor next to her dress. Jon moved his hands upward to cup her breasts. She moaned and pressed herself into his hands. Sansa reached down to the hem of his undershirt tugging impatiently at it. Jon let her pull it over his head and he pulled his boxers off afterwards. They melted into one another kissing with only the lacy, black thong between them. Sansa started stroking his cock as they kissed and was rubbing the pre-cum over the tip with her thumb.

“Sansa…” he moaned as she continued what she was doing with her hand and nipping gently at his neck.

“Lay down, Jon.”

“I need to get a…”

“No…just us now, Jon. Nothing between us tonight, alright?”

He laid across the bed on top of the covers as Sansa climbed over him. She reached down between her legs to slide the string of her thong to the side enough for him to enter her. She hovered over him for a minute, two minutes, smiling wickedly, waiting for him to break. He knew she wanted it, too, but she wanted to know how much he wanted her right now. He would never deny her that.

“Please, Sansa…” he whispered. “I want you.”

Sansa’s smile turned from teasing to sweet in an instant and she lowered herself down him slowly until she’d taken all of him in. Jon groaned with pleasure once she was fully settled. He put his hands on her hips and began rocking her into him. Sansa soon took over though, grinding her pelvis down hard on his cock and gasping with every movement. Jon leaned up to suckle at her breasts as Sansa began moaning. _I’ll never get tired of the sounds she makes while we’re making love_ …

“Don’t hold it in, sweetheart. No one’s here but us. Let me hear you,” he urged as Sansa got louder. “I love hearing you, pretty girl. I love knowing I’m the only one that gets to make you come.”

“Oh, Jon…my, sweet man. Just fuck me…I’m yours, all yours…ahhh…uumm…ohhhh…Yes! Yes!! Like that! Don’t stop!”

Sansa became incoherent as she hit her peak but Jon kept watching her ride him with his hands clasped tightly to her hips until he couldn’t hold any longer and roared out his own release.

 

They’d managed to settle down under the covers to hold one another when Sansa’s phone dinged.

**MARGAERY: 10:36PM** So, if you’re not too busy, Robb and I are making popcorn and going to watch a movie.

Sansa showed him the phone.

Jon kissed her shoulder once more. “Fine, let’s go hang out. Just promise we’ll be coming back here before too long.”

“It’s a deal.”

 

* * *

**ROBB-**

 

Robb grabbed Margaery’s phone to check the reply. “Christ,” he mumbled. Margaery read over his shoulder.

**SANSA: 10:38PM** Can you bring me my bag? I don’t want to put the dress back on.

“Robb Stark, after what you did to me in the shower and what I did to you on the floor and what we both did on my bed, I really don’t think you’ve got any room to act all holier than thou.” Robb grinned at that as Margaery wrapped her arms around him from behind.

“All right. I’ll behave and try not to shoot Jon too many dirty looks. But she is my little sister, Margaery.”

“I know. And I think it’s adorable how protective you are of her…and me.”

Jon walked into the kitchen a few minutes later after Margaery had headed to the guest house with Sansa’s overnight bag. The girls had planned ahead of course but Robb and Jon were both wearing their tuxedo pants and undershirts. They didn’t have any other clothes. Robb was in his sock feet but Jon had to put his shoes back on since he’d come from outside. Otherwise, they were dressed the same.

“Hey,” Jon said a bit awkwardly.

“Hey,” Robb replied. He was about to follow up with “Having fun?” before he stopped himself. _Shit, this is weird. It’s one thing to know he’s fucking my sister but another to be_ _around each other right after he fucks my sister. God, help me._

He was rescued by Jon speaking first though. “I think we ought to call your dad and go ahead and tell him about what happened. Kind of get it over with over the phone, give him time to get over it before we head back home…”

“Uh, okay. You don’t think he’ll insist we come home, do you? Well, I guess he wouldn’t insist you come home but he could tell me to come home or Sansa.”

“Shit, I didn’t think about that. We’ll take our lumps together tomorrow then, shall we?”

“Yeah, tomorrow. Like you said earlier, I don’t want to waste tonight thinking about Joffrey.” Sansa and Margaery entered the kitchen at that point, both wearing pajama bottoms and t-shirts. “Well, you two are comfy at least,” Robb snickered.

“What? I live here and Sansa’s a planner. You two could’ve brought clothes.”

 

Margaery set them up in the ‘movie room’ as she called it with their popcorn, sodas and some brownies. It was much more comfortable in here than the living room with a brown leather couch and loveseat and a large matching chair and a big-screen TV. Sansa and Jon had settled on the loveseat together. Jon leaned back and Sansa was laying in his arms with one hand idly playing with his hair. _Christ…just focus on Margaery_. Margaery selected an action movie none of them had seen but thought they might like. Robb moved to the couch and propped his head up with pillows and motioned for Margaery to join him there. She stretched out beside him with her perfectly round ass pressed against his groin. _Shit. I’m going to be hard again in no time. This would be better if Jon and Sansa weren’t in the room_. The lights were off except for the screen. Robb reached up to the back of the sofa and grabbed a blanket to throw over them as they settled down to watch.

It was an action film as promised but aside from the car chases and shoot outs there was sex and nudity…a lot of sex and nudity.

“What’s this thing rated again?” Jon joked from the other side of the room.

Margaery laughed and said, “Uh, R…restricted viewing…I guess it’s really R.”

Robb was trying to give the movie a chance but, between Margaery’s sweet, warm body nestled up against him and the moaning and gasping from the movie, it was hard to focus...and it was _hard_. Margaery felt him pressed up against her backside. She leaned her head back enough for him to kiss her cheek.

“Touch me,” she whispered.

Robb’s heart was suddenly ricocheting around in his chest cavity and a deliciously naughty desire took over. _We’re under the covers. It’s dark. They won’t know_. He slid his hand from Margaery’s hip down to her belly button and then slipped it under the waistband of her pajama pants. Margaery inhaled a bit sharply as Robb brushed her mound and traced her slit with one finger.

_“Oh, YES! Fuck me, harder, Agent Chase!”_ the actress on screen was shouting.

Margaery’s thighs parted slightly. “Do it,” she whispered to Robb. Robb’s finger entered her wet sweetness and Margaery let out the tiniest whimper. He moved his finger in deeper and then pulled it back out to circle her clit before he entered her again with two fingers this time while he stroked her clit with his thumb.

_“YES! YES! YES!”_ the actress was screaming during her fake orgasm.

“Yes,” Margaery purred in his ear. “Like that, lover.”

Robb started kissing her neck and grinding his cock against her ass while he continued fingering her. Robb glanced over at Jon and Sansa. They’d procured a blanket of their own but appeared to just be kissing. _No one’s watching this movie_ , he thought, grinning to himself. Margaery’s breathing got irregular and she was bucking her hips a bit to drive his fingers in further. Robb took a chance to duck his head under the blanket and sucked on her nipple through her thin t-shirt. He could hear her let out a quiet “Oh…ah.” Margaery had her mouth open in a silent scream when he emerged from the blanket and he could feel the walls of her cunt fluttering around his fingers. He kissed her ear and along her jawline while she tried to steady her breathing. He was still rock hard but glad to get her off at least. _Didn’t get to interrupt us this time, Loras_.

The movie had returned to the other kind of action and squealing tires, cursing and gunfire had taken the place of moans and groans. He glanced back over at Jon and Sansa and saw his sister’s eyes flutter closed while Jon had her positioned between his legs. One hand was holding her by the shoulder as he kissed her throat but the other hand was hidden beneath the blanket and Robb could see faint movement…down there. _God dammit, Jon!_

“Alright, I’m ready to hit the sack!” he shouted. The other three all jumped and he grabbed Margaery by the hand. “See you in the morning,” he said with nary a backwards glance at Jon and Sansa and her practically drug Margaery to her room.

 

As soon as they got to Margaery’s room, Robb locked the door and started taking off his clothes.

“What was that, Robb?” Margaery asked.

“I tried Margaery. I really tried. But I couldn’t watch Jon getting my little sister off like I just did to you!”

Margaery laughed and kissed him. “Oh, my beautiful man. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. Was he really…never mind. Come on, lover. I’ll bet I can scream louder than that silly actress.”

“Margaery, baby…I want you so badly…just please don’t wake up your grandmother.”

Margaery laughed even harder at that before she stripped and crawled up on the bed.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

“Uh, Jon? Were we just busted by my brother?” Sansa breathed raggedly.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we were.”

Sansa laughed and then said, “You do realize they were doing the same thing a few minutes earlier, right?”

“What? No! I didn’t…I wasn’t…I guess I was kind of preoccupied.”

Sansa laughed again and kissed him. “You know, I’ve seen enough of this movie. How about we head back to our cozy nest? This time I want you on top…after you make me come with your mouth that is.”

“Whatever you want, sweet girl. I am at your command.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the boys were hot-headed. They'll be dealing with that next chapter. And Oleanna was a randy granny. It's meant to be fun so just go with it!


	32. Truths and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout from rash behavior at prom.

**SANSA-**

 

He was still holding her to him long after he had spent. He was supporting himself to keep from crushing her but his forehead was resting on hers as their breathing slowed and the sweat on their bodies started to chill their skin.

“I will love you my whole life,” he had whispered a moment ago.

Sansa wanted to capture this moment like a photograph, a snapshot of time, and hold it forever in her heart. It was morning and they had already showered and dressed when Jon had grasped her by the waist playfully to kiss her. But the kissing became more ardent and they had soon shed their clothes and found themselves in the four-poster bed once more; touching, kissing, fucking and loving one another.

“Do you think the Tyrells would mind if we just moved in here?” he had asked at one point with a grin before he’d become more serious.

As he finally rose from the bed, Sansa let out a slight grumble of protest before following him to the bathroom to wash once more. They were dressed again when Jon got a text from Robb. She leaned over his shoulder to read it.

**ROBB: 8:22AM** We’re waiting…her granny’s up…please hurry, brother…

Sansa snorted at that and finished packing her overnight bag.

 

Margaery and Loras had both gotten new cars for their 17th birthday earlier that month after sharing their mother’s old car for the past year. Margaery’s was a cherry-red sports car… _naturally_. She drove too fast in it and Robb was constantly scolding her to slow down. This morning she let him drive to avoid the usual bickering probably. There wasn’t much of a backseat but Sansa didn’t mind being crushed up against Jon. They stopped at the diner for breakfast. Jon and Robb had both jokingly called it the Last Supper. Sansa knew they were nervous about telling their parents about last night; the fight with Joffrey, the suspension from school. She was nervous for them but kept telling herself it would be alright. _Dad wasn’t really mad at Jon about what happened at the factory. Is this really any different?_ Sansa wished she could be sure but her father had been very angry at Robb over the fight that led to him being dismissed from the soccer team.

“You must learn to control that temper of yours, Robb!” her father had shouted at him before they had disappeared into Father’s study.

Sansa’s stomach was in knots by the time they arrived at Winterfell and she could tell by the way Jon was holding her hand that his was as well.

Robb was saying his farewells to Margaery, urging her to drive safe, as Jon and Sansa headed to the front door. Jon and Robb’s tuxedos were thoroughly rumpled but she still thought they looked handsome all the same. Sansa was in jeans and a sweater with her hair in a ponytail with her dress and heels from last night shoved into her overnight bag. Bran came to greet them as they entered the hall.

“So, you actually brought her home again,” he teased Jon who then playfully mussed Bran’s hair.

“Where’s your father?” he asked.

“Why? You didn’t sneak off and elope last night, did you?”

“No, we didn’t get married last night,” Jon replied.

Robb had entered the house by that point and gave Bran a hug then a playful shove. “Where’s Dad?”

“Are you two in trouble?”

“Why, what’d you hear?” Robb asked.

“Paranoid much?” was Bran’s snarky reply. “He and Mom are still in their room…I wouldn’t interrupt if I were you,” he said with a sneaky grin.

“Bran! I don’t want to think about them like that…and I don’t want my little brother saying things like that,” Sansa said while the boys all laughed. “I’m going upstairs for a bit. Find me later?” she asked Jon. He nodded and she gave him a quick kiss. _At least Dad might be in a good mood_.

 

* * *

**NED-**

 

He kissed her once more before he finally let her up so that they could shower and face the day. “I can’t believe we stayed in bed this late, Ned. What must the children think?”

“They’re big enough to fetch their own breakfast once in a while, Cat.”

“Do you think Robb and Sansa are home yet? And maybe Jon?”

“I’ll go and check, love. You don’t have to rush.” Ned walked down stairs whistling to himself and saw Bran in the living room. “Did you eat, son?”

“Yes. Dad? You in a good mood?”

Ned was a bit startled by the question. Bran was the most intuitive child he’d ever met…even more than Jon, and Ned suddenly felt like his son knew exactly why his mother hadn’t been down for breakfast yet.

“Why do you ask?” Ned slowly answered.

“Robb and Jon are waiting for you in your study.”

_Oh…that doesn’t sound good at all_.

He walked into the study and there they stood, still in their wrinkled formalwear. “Don’t you have to return those today?” he asked mildly.

“The shop doesn’t open till noon,” Jon answered.

Ned gave them a good look. They looked just like they did as small boys when they’d committed some trespass and had decided it would be better to confess than be found out later. _If only it could just be a broken window pane or a note sent home from school_ , he mused. “Alright, so let’s hear it then,” he finally said.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

Ned had been angry and had yelled more at the two of them this morning than he’d yelled at Jon after Homecoming. More than all the times he’d yelled at Jon in the past put together really. _And I still have to tell Mum, too_ , he thought dismally. _Robb doesn’t seem too upset. Of course, he’s the one that’s gotten blasted the most over the years_.

Once Ned had stopped yelling though and returned to his usual calm demeanor, he told them both to go upstairs, get dressed and meet him outside at noon. Jon had reassured Sansa that all was fine after she’d heard Robb ask, “Are you taking us out somewhere to shoot us, Dad?”

“No,” Ned had laughed. “No one’s getting shot today.”

They rode into town in Ned’s SUV. Jon was upfront next to Ned and Robb was sitting in the back staring out the window. They dropped off their rentals and Ned picked up some burgers and took them to Wolf Lake. He’d brought them here several times as boys to go camping but they’d not done that in ages. Jon’s nerves had diminished once they were there. They all heartily dug into their Styrofoam containers to eat their burgers and fries in silence for a while. They were sitting at a picnic table overlooking the lake. The sky was cloudy and it was a bit chilly but still a pleasant spring day. Without preamble, Ned starting speaking as he looked out at the lake.

“I was always the quiet one. Brandon was the hot head. Someone would say something, something stupid, and there Brandon would go after them, as though he had no other choice. I’d get riled by things once in a while. I had my share of fights as a boy but it was usually because I was fighting at Brandon’s side. I thought of him as my brother from the time we were just little boys and you stand beside your brother naturally.” He turned to face Robb. “Imagine my surprise years later to find that you were the hot head, Robb, and Jon was more like me…until recently anyway. Your Uncle Edmure’s always had a temper, son…and your mother’s feisty in her own way but you remind most of Brandon, so quick to anger but then just as quick to laugh and forgive. I love how much you remind me of him.” Ned then faced him. “Jon, you always reminded me of myself as a boy, quiet and thoughtful but with a tendency to worry overmuch. But, God, help me, you look _just like him_. It frightens me sometimes lately to look at you. My sons remind me so much of my best friend but in different ways, it’s almost painful to watch you two too closely.”

Ned looked back at the lake again for a while before he continued. “Brandon should’ve just called the police that night, should’ve stayed in his office watching the monitors and called the authorities. It wasn’t his things that were stolen. His job was to watch the place, not fight for it, not die for other people’s property. But, he followed the burglar out of the facility, chased him to the street, to his car. I know what he was probably thinking. ‘How dare this cocksucker break in and steal from here? I’ll show him.’ Except, he was the one who got shown. When you let your anger do your thinking, that’s what can happen. You want to start fights? Finish fights? Sometimes you’ll win, sometimes you’ll lose and some day you may die.” Ned started to head to the vehicle while they sat watching him but turned back once more and said, “Just think about it, boys. It’s alright to defend your women and your family. It’s fine to draw a line and say ‘enough’ when someone’s pushing too far. But think about it before you act next time.”

 

They rode in silence back to the house. Ned had done a lot of talking about the past and he seemed emotionally drained. Lyanna rarely ever spoke of her brother. He’d been several years older than her but her reaction to his death was to let her depression take over and run away, leaving her only child in the care of others. Ned had mourned his friend quietly but with no less heartache. He’d gone about what was expected of him but it did not erase his grief. Robb sat in the back with his head in his hands while Jon looked out the window.

_I look like him. I don’t look like my father or my mother really, I look like my uncle_. Jon was inexplicably pleased to know he took after someone at least. _But I’m more like Ned,_ _the man that raised me_. And he felt pride in that.

As they pulled up to the house, they were alarmed to see Sandor’s unmarked car and a squad car in the driveway. Cat rushed out of the house and embraced Robb and then Jon.

“What’s happened?” Ned asked.

“Roose Bolton was found dead at his home this afternoon.” Jon felt a chill chase down his spine. He saw Sansa standing in the doorway looking frightened and wanted to go to her. “But that’s not why they’re here,” Cat continued.

“Why then?” Ned asked with apparent dread.

Cat clung to Jon and then pulled Robb back to her. “Cersei Lannister filed a complaint. They’re here to arrest our boys, Ned,” she said with a strangled sob.

Sandor walked out the front door past Sansa with two patrol officers on his heels and headed over to them. “Cooperate, boys, and things will go smoothly,” he said.

“Can I bail them out, Sandor?”

“Yes, but they have a twelve hour hold before you can do that. They assaulted a minor. I’m sorry, Ned.”

“You’re only doing your job. I’ll be down early tomorrow to get them then,” Ned said. “There are always consequences for men who act like boys,” he said gently as he hugged them both and told them he’d see them later.

Sandor looked at Jon with disappointment plain on his face and Jon could only hang his head. “I’ve already talked to your mum. She’s in hysterics at the moment but I’ll try and settle her later.”

He hugged Jon tightly before turning them both over to his officers who patted them down, cuffed them and led them to the squad car. Jon couldn’t even bring himself to look at Sansa again until the squad car started pulling out of the driveway. She smiled sadly at him and waved before turning to her mother’s arms to cry. He wanted to cry, too, but wouldn’t allow a single tear to drop…not now anyway.


	33. A Friend Indeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's POV

They had been sitting in the small holding cell of the squad room for hours now. Two cots and a toilet in a 12’ x 8’ cell were the extent of their accommodations. It wasn’t busy on a Sunday night. The two officers in the squad room were chatting while watching the late night sports news on TV. Sandor had told the officers to let them stay in the holding cell rather than taking them down to the jail.

“If we don’t have anyone else come in, I’d rather just leave you both here. You may be adults in the eyes of the law but you’re still just boys compared to the men down there.”

He’d reached through the bars to clasp their hands and then headed home to see to Lyanna. Robb had started to cry quietly to himself. He had been fighting it for hours but he finally gave in. Jon looked around at the officers in the room but they weren’t paying them any attention. He put an arm around him and told him everything would be okay.

“You don’t know that,” Robb hissed before saying more quietly, “I can’t believe this is real.”

_I’ve got to cheer him up. I haven’t seen Robb like this since the hospital after Ramsey…or when Jeyne broke up with him last year_. “Me, either. Let’s think of something better. Hey, think about where we were 24 hours ago…watching that movie with the girls…”

Robb didn’t even seem to hear him. “I can’t be a cop with a record. ‘Assault of a Minor’...sounds like I’m some sort of abusive prick or a freaking perv. And Riverlands…the suspension wouldn’t have looked good but an arrest? I’ll be lucky if I can get in now.”

Jon felt his stomach churning as Robb’s words started to sink in. _What if Arryn College won’t take me now? What if I can’t go to law school? Why did I kick that stupid cunt? I_ _should’ve just…oh, shit…have I really just fucked everything up? Because Joffrey threw a cup of punch on Margaery? Oh, my God_ …His brain was scrambling to come up with something that would fix this.

“Joffrey has hit Margaery before. Sansa told me. And a dozen people saw him hit her the night of the party.”

“You think that matters now, brother. She never filed a report. And he didn’t hit her at prom. He ‘spilled’ a drink on her. Face it, we’re fucked.”

 

Robb had finally fell asleep around midnight. It was after 1AM but Jon still hadn’t slept. He was lying awake thinking of the mistakes he’d made and Ned’s words from yesterday and Sansa…she was constantly running through his mind, worry gnawing at this gut _. How do I protect her when I’m stuck here?_ Roose Bolton had been found dead. He’d got Sandor to tell him more about that shortly after they were booked.

“Been dead a couple of days from the looks of things. The housekeeper had been off a few days and found him. Ramsey, we’re pretty sure. There was evidence that he’d been in the house recently. No cash found in the home and the credit cards were missing. We’re hoping he’ll be stupid enough to use them. I’d guess Ramsey’s getting desperate as long as he’s been on the run now and needed help. Maybe Roose refused or maybe he just didn’t have enough to give. He was stabbed in the gut. It may help us catch him now but it also makes Ramsey more dangerous. Without help, a wanted man becomes more desperate. A man like that will shy away from nothing to save his own skin.”

Jon knew that whatever Ramsey had in mind, it would likely involve him and Sansa before the end and maybe the rest of the family as well.

 

Jon had nodded off for a bit but around 3AM the two night shift cops got to their feet as a scuffle broke out down the hall. Someone was being brought in on assault charges and he was fighting the arresting officers. Robb jerked awake as the four officers wrangled the man into the squad room.

“Put him in the holding cell,” one said, nursing a bloody nose.

“Cap said to leave the boys there. We can take this one downstairs,” said one of the night shift guys.

“Fuck that. I’m not fighting this asshole on the elevator.”

Jon looked over at Robb after getting a look at the man. It was Karl Tanner. He motioned Robb over to his cot.

“I know him. That’s Tanner. One of the guys I got in the fight with at the factory.”

“Shit. Are you going to tell them?” Jon started to nod but Karl had already spotted him.

“Snow? Well, lookee here. Are we going to share a cell, boy? What are you doing here? Did you do something naughty to that pretty red head of yours?”

Jon felt Robb bristle next to him. “No, Robb. Don’t say anything,” Jon whispered. He looked to the officers that had been in the room all night. “I got in a fight with this man a few weeks ago at work. We’ll go downstairs if we need to but I don’t want to share a cell with Tanner.”

Thankfully, Dacey, the female officer from the shooting range, came into the squad room at that point. “These two have a visitor,” she said.

“It’s not visiting hours,” the officer with the bloody nose groused.

“Says he’s with their attorney’s office and insisted on seeing them now.”

_Attorney’s office? We don’t have an attorney…maybe Ned hired someone. But why would they be here at 3AM? Ned’s not even planning to come get us for a couple of more_ _hours_.

Dacey escorted them down the hall. She’d refused to have them cuffed again when one of the male officers asked.

“These two aren’t going to do anything. They’ll be sweet as sugar for Dacey, won’t you, boys?”

They could only nod in response and follow her out the door as Tanner was placed in the cell they’d occupied for nearly ten hours. They entered the ‘interview room’ and saw a man sitting at the table, scribbling on some paper. He’s not dressed like an attorney’s assistant… _of course, it is 3AM, Snow_. He looked to be in his early 50s. His hair was black with a few streaks of silver in it and slicked back. His face was rough-hewn and his eyes were a piercing blue. He wore an easy grin when he looked up at them.

“Have a seat, lads,” he said as he gestured to the chairs across from him. His accent was pure Kings Landing…not the proper accent of the capitol like his father used but the more earthy Kings Landing accent of the regular people who had lived there for eons. “I’m Bronn. Mr. Martell sent me to help get this mess sorted for you lot. I happened to be up round the Wall when he called and I caught a flight down here.”

“Wait…Mr. Martell? Oberyn sent you, Mr. Bronn?”

The man laughed at that. “Not Mr. Bronn, boy. Just Bronn. It’s Bronn Waters but anyways…just call me Bronn. And yes, Oberyn Martell is my employer and sent me here.”

“How did he know…”

“Look, I’ve been up for about 30 hours straight. I can barely string coherent sentences together at this point. How about you let me ask the questions for the moment while I can still remember what those questions are?”

“Um…sure. Sorry.”

“Good. Now, tell me all about this little Lannister shit.”

They spent an hour talking to Bronn. They’d told him everything they knew about Joffrey and Joffrey’s relationship with Margaery and Joffrey’s behavior in general but he acted like he already knew most of it. Robb had been hesitant to talk at first but he soon warmed to the man who never called Joffrey by his name…cunt, fucker, little shit, prick, arse…these were the only words Bronn ever used for Joffrey. He asked about the case with Ramsey after they’d exhausted the topic of Joffrey Lannister.

“How do you know about that?” Jon asked.

“Mr. Martell asked me to look into it bit,” he replied evasively. Jon filled him in on the latest development. “Killed his dad? Well, while I’m in town I may do some nosing around.” Jon asked about Oberyn next. “You can save your questions for him, lad. He’s flying in later today.”

“He’s coming here?”

“Of course, he’s coming here. He’s your counsel. Case isn’t being tried in bloody Dorne, is it? Fuck, I need some sleep.” Bronn got up and stretched his long legs and banged on the door.

Dacey opened the door a minute later with a smirk, “All done, handsome?” she asked.

Bronn winked back at Jon and Robb. “That’s right, gorgeous. I still owe you some coffee, don’t I?”

“I’m off at 6,” Dacey said with a blush.

“No rest for the wicked then, eh?” he replied.

 

Ned had arrived soon after to make their bail and driven them back home before heading to the office. Jon and Robb told him about meeting Bronn and Oberyn’s imminent arrival. Ned was as confused as they were by Oberyn’s knowledge or interest in their predicament. Cat had rushed them both at the door.

“Oh, thank God! My boys! Are you alright? What was it like? Did anyone try to…um, do things to you?”

“MOM! Oh my, God…we’re fine! They kept Jon and me in a holding cell together all night. Now please, don’t ever ask me a question like that again. Seriously, I can’t even look at you at the moment.”

“I’m beat, Cat. Can I crash here?” Jon asked.

“Of course, sweetheart.”

Jon went upstairs while Cat was still cooing over an increasingly annoyed Robb. He passed Sansa’s door but then stopped and turned back around. He opened the door quietly and could just make out her sleeping form. He crept over to the bed.

“Sansa?” he called softly. She stirred and nearly yelped when she realized he was there.

“Jon! Oh, Jon. I’m so glad you’re home.” She reached for him and he allowed himself to be pulled down onto the bed next to her. “I had hoped Dad would get to bring you home before I left for school. What time is it?”

“Little after 5. I missed you. I was worried about you. Can I stay here, you think?”

“Yes, for a while anyway. You were worried about me? I’ve been worried sick about you! Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you or Robb?”

“No, Sansa. It was not any fun but we’re both fine.”

She hugged him tightly and then asked, “Did Oberyn’s man come see you?”

“ _You_ called him?”

“Yes. He offered to help us with Ramsey in Dorne and I thought maybe he’d be willing to help with this. Turns out he actually knows Cersei Lannister…he seemed more than willing to come.” Sansa was stroking his face and holding him to her. “Oh, Jon. After our wonderful night, it was such a horrible shock to see them take you and Robb away.”

“I’m sorry for the pain and worry we caused everyone. How’s Margaery?”

“Pissed…with a capital P. She’s talking about pressing charges against Joffrey for hitting her at the party. She’s so much stronger than me. I just kept crying even after I called Oberyn.”

“That’s not true, Sansa. You’re one of the strongest people I know. And you thought to call Oberyn, you clever girl. You didn’t just sit around wringing your hands or ranting. Thank you.”

Sansa kissed him then and Jon kissed her back, slowly and deeply. _I want her so badly but I probably should just behave_ …

“Jon,” she said with a smile. “You said you missed me.”

“Yeah…I did.”

“Hmmm…are you prepared to show me how much you missed me?”

“Well, I suppose I could be persuaded. I’ve been locked up for _so_ long without a single conjugal visit, you know.”

Sansa threw her pillow at him with a laugh before he pulled her top off and shushed her with his mouth.

 

Jon snuck off to his room once Sansa got in the shower to get ready for school. Principal Mormont had called Cat about Robb being suspended and Jon called his mother. Lyanna was not happy but she didn’t rip into him like he’d expected… _and deserved_. He’d been ordered to come home at once but then she relented when he told her Oberyn was coming to see him and to possibly represent him and Robb. She agreed to let him stay at Winterfell until after he met with Oberyn that evening and _then_ he was to come home at once.

Jon slept most of the morning and went downstairs at lunchtime with a ravenous hunger. He’d not eaten since lunch yesterday. Robb was already in the kitchen making himself an enormous sandwich.

“I’ll take one of those,” Jon said.

“Make your own,” Robb replied. “I’m starving. I was so upset and nervous last night I couldn’t eat that crap they gave us.”

“Me, either,” he answered as he reached for the bread. 

“Do you think Mr. Martell will help us both? He doesn’t even know me,” Robb said.

“Yes, I don’t doubt he’ll help us both. I also advise you _not_ to introduce him to Margaery…and if you’re forced to, try not to get jealous.”

Robb just looked at him like he was crazy.

 

The Starks were all home when Oberyn Martell strolled into Winterfell. He looked very business-like in his suit but Jon could see his amused grin as Cat and Sansa came forward to start thanking him profusely for coming. Jon just rolled his eyes as Cat tittered over something he had said and introduced Robb and the younger Starks.

“Perhaps, we could talk in my study, Mr. Martell. Just you and me and the boys?” Ned said with a bit more asperity than usual.

“You have a lovely home, Mr. Stark. And such a beautiful wife and lovely children. You are a truly blessed man.”

“Thank you…and, um, thank you for coming all this way to help. What do you think of the case?”

“What case?” Oberyn asked with an arched brow.

“The assault case…the boys’ arrests.”

“Oh, that. I don’t think there’ll be a case much longer,” he said with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

“Really?” Ned asked, half irritated and half curious.

“I called Cersei and told her I wanted to meet for lunch tomorrow. I think it’ll all go away after that.”

“And what makes you think that?”

Oberyn smiled like Ned was being simple. _Please, don’t push too far, Oberyn. I’d rather have you both on my side_.

Oberyn cleared his throat and said, “I’ve known Cersei a long time. I’ve known their family a long time…Joffrey’s father…Cersei’s brothers.”

“Joffrey’s father moved to back south after the divorce, I’d heard.”

“Oh, Cersei’s ex-husband? That’s not Joffrey’s father.”

“Well, I know she changed Joffrey’s last name to Lannister after the divorce but I’m pretty sure…”

“Joffrey’s father lives in Lannisport, Mr. Stark. Jaime Lannister is his name…Cersei’s brother.”

Jon was certain his eyes were as wide as Robb’s.

“You’re going to blackmail her?” Ned asked with mounting anger. “There’s no honor in that. I won’t be a party it.”

“My dear, Mr. Stark, I wasn’t asking you to be a party to any of it. It’s not blackmail. I’m not asking for money or anything. I'm just going to remind her of a few...facts.  I respect your honorable ways but Jon and Robb will benefit from my moral ambiguity this one time. And you can teach your son and his friend what a terrible, unscrupulous man I am _after_ I’ve gotten the charges dismissed,” he said like a cat with cream. He looked over at Jon, “First lesson in being an attorney, Jon…you can do _good_ or you can do _well_.”

Jon looked uncomfortably at Ned. “I’m not sure I can do that,” he finally admitted.

“Well, you can always be a prosecutor or public defender, I suppose,” Oberyn said with a laugh.


	34. Breadcrumbs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Couple of Stark family dinners. And the chapter title hints at the rest.

**SANSA-**

 

Dinner that night had been different to say the least. Her father’s normally calm demeanor was not in evidence and he snapped even more at the table than their mother often did. Only Greywind and Shaggy were brave, or fool-hearty, enough to approach the table hoping for a few morsels to hit the floor and they were quickly slinking away again. Arya, Bran and Rickon, however, were not so easily cowed by their father.

“So, what was it like in prison?” Rickon asked Jon and Robb.

“They didn’t go to prison, stupid. It was just jail,” Arya said. “And Captain Clegane was there. Did the food suck?”

“Yes,” Robb muttered in response, eyeing their father nervously.

“Was there cable?”

“We were just in the holding cell, Arya,” Jon said. “The squad room had a TV and there was cable.”

“Can we please talk about something else?” Robb asked.

“My brothers, the convicts,” Bran said jokingly. “I hope neither of you dropped the soap while you were there.”

Arya started laughing until their mom yelled, “Brandon Stark!”

“That’s enough! “ their dad shouted. “Go to your room, Bran!”

Bran stormed off and Rickon looked around before he said, “I finished building my rocket at school today. Mr. Mayer says we can test them next week.” Arya scoffed at him. “What? I thought I’d change the subject.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Rickon,” Sansa said. “We need to change the subject and I would love to hear about your rocket.”

Her mother and Jon soon joined the conversation with her and Rickon. Her father sat there trying to listen politely for a while until he finally excused himself and went to talk to Bran. Robb moodily picked at his dinner until Arya decided to start flicking peas at him to get him to smile. It worked...it always did. Sansa hoped that tomorrow night’s dinner would not be so awkward but, since her mom had invited Oberyn to dinner tomorrow, Sansa had reason to suspect it might be even worse.

 

Sansa had not seen or talked to Jon all day. He’d went home immediately after dinner. His mother had wanted him home as soon as Oberyn left so he was already pushing things by staying to eat dinner. He gave her quick kiss goodnight and warned her he would probably be grounded. She had been at school all day and he was spending his second day of his suspension at the office with her father. Robb had been persuaded to join them there as well though he did not go as gladly as Jon did. Since Robb wasn’t driving to school and was with their father all day, Sansa had been given his car to drive. She was heading to the parking lot after school when she realized she’d left something in her locker. She saw Mr. Baelish standing in the hallway and ducked her head as she passed him. He’d continued to ignore her existence for the most part but occasionally she felt his eyes on her when they’d pass in the hall. As long as he didn’t do anything more than that, she’d keep her silence. She didn’t ever want to see Sandor and his men coming to the house to arrest someone again.

As she walked to Robb’s car, she spotted a folded piece of paper stuck under the driver’s side wiper, a note written in red ink. _‘See you soon_ ,’ it said. No name was on it. It wasn’t even addressed to Robb but it must be for him. It was his car. _It’s not Margaery’s writing and she knows he’s not here anyway. Maybe a friend?_ Sansa tucked the note in her pocket and drove home.

 

Sansa could tell her father was not pleased about something when he got home from work but Robb seemed lighter than he had since prom night. She hoped Jon would arrive soon. She’d missed him all day. He’d texted to say he had to go home for a while to take Ghost for a walk and do some things around the house but should be over before dinnertime. Sansa was helping her mother with dinner when he arrived. He came in to the kitchen and gave her a rather perfunctory kiss and immediately headed off to find her father and Robb. Bran and Rickon were setting the table and Arya answered the door when Oberyn arrived.

“Oh, you’re here,” her mother said with a smile when he followed Arya into the kitchen.

“Yes, Mrs. Stark, I am here.” He was more casual tonight in khakis and a soft yellow polo that looked well on him with his olive skin and dark hair and eyes. “The food here is different than in Dorne but this smells delicious. You lovely ladies will make me wish to stay.” Her mother was giggling like a girl and Sansa saw Arya roll her eyes behind him. _Geez, Mom…_

“Behave,” Sansa whispered to him. “Don’t piss off Dad.”

He smirked and said, “Too late for that I’m afraid. And, child…this _is_ me behaving.”

Sansa finally saw Jon again as they sat down at the table. He was smiling now and kissed her with more attention than he had in the kitchen earlier.

“You seem happy,” she whispered, pleased to find him truly affectionate now.

“I am but Ned’s not.”

She wanted to ask why but couldn’t because her father told everyone it was time to eat. Oberyn was stroking his mustache with his fingers and smiling at her father while the food was passed around. Her father was looking at everyone but Oberyn.

“Did you have a pleasant day today in Wintertown, Mr. Martell?” her mother asked.

“Please call me Oberyn, Catelyn. And yes, I had a grand day. In fact, I spent most of the afternoon with an exquisite blond. What more can a man ask for?”

Sansa saw her mother’s expression turn a bit sour at that. Robb cleared his throat uncomfortably and shot Jon a look.

“An exquisite blond?” her mother inquired coolly.

“Cersei Lannister, Cat,” her father said irritably. “He saw Cersei Lannister today.”

“Whatever for? I mean, isn’t that improper for you to meet with her if you’re representing the boys?”

“Oh, I’m not going to be representing the boys…not much longer anyway.”

Sansa was as perplexed as her mother. “But…” Sansa began.

“Enough of the games, Martell,” her father said rather loudly. “He met with Cersei. She’s dropping the charges against the boys. It’s done.”

The rest of the table erupted in exclamations and smiles. Robb and Jon were smiling but not as widely as the rest…they didn’t like to see her father so angry. But her mother, Arya and the boys were all chattering happily and heaping their gratitude on Oberyn. Sansa looked over at Jon with the question plain on her face.

“Later,” he whispered and Sansa accepted that she would learn what all this was about eventually and tucked into her meal with pleasure and relief.

 

They had went upstairs after dinner while Robb and Arya took on kitchen duties and the adults went to talk in the living room. They had left the door open for Lady who promptly came in and jumped up on the bed next to them. Her sweet dog always wanted to be in Sansa’s room if she was there. And, she was as curious as Ghost was when she and Jon were _occupied_ … _poor, sweet dog_. For now though, they were just talking and Sansa finally asked about the charges.

“So, out with it. What happened? Why’s Dad mad? And how’d he get you and Robb off the hook?”

“Apparently, Joffrey’s mother has some skeletons in her closet…a pretty big skeleton actually and Oberyn knew her secret,” Jon answered as he idly stroked Lady’s head.

“He blackmailed her,” Sansa said as she hung her head. “No wonder Dad wasn’t happy.”

“Yeah. He didn’t like it. I’m not crazy about it but, on the other hand, I’m happy that the charges will likely be dropped now. The prosecutor could still choose to press charges without their cooperation but Oberyn says that’s unlikely and he’s already working on making sure that doesn’t happen.”

“What’d he have on her?” Sansa couldn’t help but ask.

“Something vile. I’ll tell you but don’t share it with Margaery or anyone else, okay?”

“Okay.”

Sansa was shocked but Jon was ready to move past the topic of Joffrey and was trying to distract Sansa from Lannister family secrets. He had her in his arms on the bed, kissing her chin and throat as one hand moved under her shirt and bra to cup a breast. He gave a satisfied hum when he had stroked her nipple into a hard peak.

**Ding!**

“It’s mine,” he grumbled as he sat up to grab his phone. “Probably Mum. She didn’t want me coming over tonight.”

“Why?”

“She said I’m grounded till Graduation if she doesn’t string me up by my balls first. And, she still isn’t too fond of Oberyn either. She only let me come over tonight because of the case. Maybe she’ll change her mind when she hears the news, huh?” Jon’s expression changed to confusion as he stared at his phone. “Did you send me this?” he asked.

Sansa looked over his shoulder. The text was from an unknown number. The text message only said, ‘ _Soon_ ’ and there was a picture of her next to Robb’s car holding a piece of paper.

“Oh my, God,” she whispered as she felt the blood drain from her face.

“What? Sansa…”

Sansa reached into her pocket and pulled out the note from earlier. Jon looked at the note and the text again.

“I’m calling Sandor,” he said. She could see his hands were shaking as he dialed.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

Sansa was nestled up against him with her feet tucked up and under her and her head under his chin, buried in his chest. He could feel her body trembling as he held her…or maybe it was his own. It was hard to tell. They were sitting on the couch in the living room. Robb was sitting on the other side of Sansa. She was clutching Robb’s hand while she desperately tried to bury herself in him. Ned and Cat were talking; Cat was loud but afraid, Ned was quiet but angry. Oberyn was in the corner on the phone but Jon could feel him watching them all from time to time.

The second text had been more upsetting than the first. _‘I was 20 feet away. I could’ve taken her so easily. And there would’ve been nothing you could do about it.’_

_I will kill him_ , Jon thought for the thousandth time.

Sansa had screamed when the second text appeared and Ned had come charging upstairs followed by Robb. Jon was too shaken to even speak. He’d barely managed to speak to Sandor but at that moment his voice deserted him completely and he mutely held up his phone. Ned had picked Sansa up like she was still a small child and carried her downstairs and Jon had followed. Cat had sent Arya and the boys off to their rooms before returning to the living room. And they waited for Sandor and his men to come to the house once more.

 

The adults were arguing now. Sandor had arrived with Lyanna and two patrol officers had followed them in the house. Next, Bronn had appeared. He didn’t say anything after the introductions were made, just paced the room like a rangy mountain lion watching the others. Oberyn was quiet, too, watching and waiting. The officers took Jon’s phone and the note Sansa had found on Robb’s car. They’d went to look over Robb’s car next. And while they were outside, the arguing began.

“What are we going to do? We can’t let her leave the house,” Cat had said.

“You think she’s safer here than anywhere? This is where he attacked her, this is where he stabbed my son!” Lyanna had replied.

“I’m aware of that! They nearly killed Bran as well.”

“He’s sending these texts to Jon. He’s trying to bait him. He’s going to try and kill him.”

“And Sansa’s in no danger? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Lyanna, Cat, this isn’t doing any good,” Sandor said at that point.

“Well, what would you suggest, Sandor? Your men have been on this case for months and just today he was 20 feet away from _MY DAUGHTER_!” Ned had started out in his normal tone but roared out the last part.

Sansa started to cry as the blame game continued. Jon couldn’t blame her. He sort of felt like crying, too. Robb squeezed Sansa hand and just looked stunned. Jon noticed Bronn speaking to Oberyn. Oberyn nodded to him and cleared his throat to speak.

“If you’re all quite done with this useless arguing, I’d like to make a suggestion.” The four other adults looked at him with hate-filled eyes but Oberyn only smiled. “My man, Bronn, will watch over Sansa and Jon for the time being. I’ve called my daughters to come and help. Bronn can only be in so many places at once and eventually even he must rest.”

“What good’s he going to do? What possible fucking good are your daughters going to be in this situation?” Sandor asked with distaste.

“Bronn is a man of many talents, Captain. The children need protection. You cannot possibly provide that level of protection for two…or perhaps three individuals when you have an entire town to police and only so many officers to do so. Bronn has many talents but his best talent is providing protection… or is it killing, Bronn?”

“It’s a toss-up really,” Bronn replied.

“Two of my daughters share these talents. I have trained them well. They can keep your children safe.”

Sandor stalked over to Oberyn and Bronn. “Talented at killing?” he seethed.

“Yeah…all above board though, Officer,” Bronn replied with a cocky grin.

 

Obara and Tyene Sand were two of Oberyn’s bastard daughters by former lovers, before Ellaria had come along. They were in their late 20s. They were both shorter than Sansa and slender. Neither looked the least bit lethal but Oberyn had sworn that they were. Obara was not what anyone would call pretty and she constantly wore an angry expression. Tyene, however, was quite pretty. Her hair was short and her big brown eyes were soft. For two weeks, Obara followed Jon around everywhere he went. He couldn’t even use the bathroom without her standing outside the door. _So fucking annoying_. He felt bad when the thought first occurred to him about a week into the arrangement but once he admitted it to himself, he couldn’t let it go. Obara was terse and about as bendable as Ms. Tarth…in other words, not at all.

Tyene followed Robb around everywhere just like Obara did for Jon. If he were honest, he had to admit he was slightly miffed that Robb got the prettier and friendlier girl except for an inconvenient side effect. _Poor Robb_ …Margaery wasn’t pleased by this development at all. Robb had said this was all unnecessary as Ramsey hadn’t contacted him or threatened him specifically.  He suggested that Tyene should follow Bran around.  But what happened to Bran had been an accident.  Robb had fought with Ramsey so Tyene followed him around. She flirted shamelessly with him whether Margaery was around or not. So, he was in trouble with Margaery even though he swore religiously that he never flirted back and he had a shadow following him everywhere…a flirtatious, attractive shadow. He was complaining one morning in homeroom about Tyene when Jon had heard enough.

“She sits downstairs and talks with Oleanna when Margaery and I are upstairs… _you know_ …and then when we drive home she asks me stuff…like, what I like in bed... Apparently, Margaery’s grandmother is enjoying having her company to discuss things with, too…it’s unnerving as hell.”

“ _Oh, poor you!”_ Jon snapped finally. “Obara gets pissed if I want to go anywhere besides work, school or home…not that Mum’s letting me go anywhere anyway. And she never leaves me and Sansa alone… _ever_ …if you know what _I_ mean.”

Robb had laughed at him and Jon really wanted to punch him then. Bronn was Sansa’s shadow and she didn’t seem to mind at all. They talked and laughed together. Jon could tell he made her feel safe and it was obvious he was good company…good, deadly company. He wanted her to feel safe but it hurt Jon’s pride a bit to realize that another man was the one keeping her that way. Bronn and Tyene were staying at Winterfell and guarded the house when they were there. They rotated night watches and Cat, at least, was pleased to have them. Obara slept in the spare bedroom at Jon’s house. Lyanna was very happy to have her there but Sandor was not as pleased and Jon suspected it was because he felt the same way about him that Jon felt about Sansa. He wanted to protect Jon and his mother. It was his job. Jon only hoped it wouldn’t be necessary much longer.

 

As graduation neared, their babysitting services came to an abrupt end. Ramsey had been positively identified on a security camera…in Kings Landing. He had used one of Roose Bolton’s credit cards at a gas station and a diner. The cops had had the cards kept active hoping he would use them. As soon as the cards were used, law enforcement had swarmed the businesses. He’d not been caught yet but he was in the capitol, eight hundred miles away. Bronn and Oberyn’s daughters flew to Kings Landing at once to help seek him. Sandor was in contact with the authorities there and was hopeful that Ramsey would finally be captured. His ego had definitely suffered a bit from the presence of Oberyn’s ‘people’ and he’d confessed to Lyanna and Jon one night that he felt angry and helpless by Ramsey’s ability to evade them for so long.

“You only have 40 officers on the force and it’s a large area to enforce. There’s plenty of wilderness to hide in around here as well,” Lyanna had said, defending him and his officers fiercely.

Jon agreed with his mother but he still fervently prayed that Ramsey would finally be caught. _I want him dead but in the end I really just want Sansa safe and to never have to_ _worry about him again._


	35. Commencement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Robb graduate.

**ROBB-**

 

“You really aren’t mad about this at all, are you?” he asked with a smile as he folded his hands behind his head on her pillow and watched her head bobbing up and down over his cock. She pulled her mouth off him with a wet little ‘plop’ and smiled.

“No, lover, I’m not mad. Just the thought of you in a uniform and with handcuffs…I’m an awfully naughty girl, you know. I might need Officer Stark to _punish_ me,” Margaery said with delicious little pout. _Oh, fuck_ … “But you’ll go to college first,” she added as she teasingly licked his balls.

“Uh, yeah…I’ll go to college,” he said as he sucked in his breath.

“Promise?” she asked as she gave the tip of his cock a quick kiss.

“Yes, I promise. Margaery, honey…” he pleaded. Margaery looked him over and grinned.

“Alright, let’s get on with your graduation gift then.” Robb’s eyes closed as she took him fully in her mouth once more and he groaned with delight.

 

Margaery gave him head like he gave Greywind treats. When his dog did something right, he got a treat. When Robb did what Margaery wanted, she’d blow him. It was like he was being trained and, he reflected, maybe he was. If so, he wasn’t complaining. He’d worried over telling her about this for months but last night he’d finally admitted that he wanted to work in law enforcement someday.

“But you’ll go to college first and get a degree,” she’d said then.

“Well, sure…for a bit. I don’t really have to have a degree to be a cop though.” Margaery just looked at him with an arched brow. “But, yeah, I suppose getting a degree would be the smart thing to do. I mean, I might want to be a federal agent or something…”

Margaery had smiled then before she had got down on her knees and blown him. _Good boy_.

 

It was a sunny Saturday morning in late May and it was Graduation Day. Robb honestly couldn’t think of a better way to start the big day. He’d asked to spend last night at Margaery’s and was afraid his parents would say no with all the worry over Ramsey the past few weeks but his dad had agreed with the proviso that they come home for lunch with the family. Margaery’s parents were off on another trip. He felt sorry for her and Loras but wouldn’t say it out loud. She knew her parents’ neglectful parenting style wasn’t really right. She didn’t need it pointed out to her. He couldn’t imagine his parents ever being so indifferent, so unconcerned. If he sometimes chaffed at being coddled or yelled at by his mother or disciplined by his father, he reminded himself how much they loved them all. Of course, Lyanna had been the same as the Tyrells, except that whereas they would leave for a week or two, she’d leave for months or even years at a time.

Robb had sobbed for days the first time she’d come to take Jon with her when they were 6 years old. They’d never lived apart. Jon was his brother. He couldn’t understand why this woman he had no memory of came to take his brother away. _Poor Mom…I cried, Sansa cried and Arya was just a little over one but she cried because we did. Mom never let_ _us see her cry but I know she did_. It didn’t get any better over the next few years either. Jon would come back home to them but then a few months later, Lyanna would return and Robb felt like an emotional yo-yo. _At least, Mom and Dad were always there for us to turn to_. He could only imagine what it was like for Jon. Actually, he knew pretty well what it was like for Jon because he’d hugged and consoled his crying brother more than once when they were little boys, whether he was getting taken away from them or being dumped back with them once more. He was glad that Lyanna had finally settled down enough to be something like a real mother to Jon… _even if it took her 18 years to get there_.

Robb’s somber reflections were keeping his mind just occupied enough that he wasn’t reaching his peak at his usual speed. He looked back down at Margaery just as she looked up at him with a curious expression. With her mouth still working his cock, her hands shot up to his chest and she pinched his nipples…hard.

“Holy fucking shit, Margaery!” he shouted just before he came…out of nowhere.

The pleasure combined with the pain was too much and he thought he might pass out for a minute. _I’ve never come that hard from a blow job before…wow_. He had bucked his hips from the shock and escaped Margaery’s busy mouth. She had cum in her hair, dripping down her face and covering her throat.

She only laughed and said, “Time for a shower, I think.” Robb was still trying to catch his breath.

“Fucking hell,” he gasped. “Where the fuck did you come up with that?”

Margaery grinned and said, “Tyene suggested it.” _Oh. My. God_. “She said to try it sometime and it seemed like you needed a little spurring on this morning.”

Robb gasped again and chuckled uneasily. “Uh, so she talked to you about me? And you weren’t mad?”

“Why would I be mad? You didn’t fuck her, did you?”

“Hell, no!” he started to shout but then realized she was teasing.

“Robb, I love you. You love me. No one’s coming between us, right?”

“Never. I love you. You’re the only one for me.”

“Good. Now, shower with me, baby.”

Robb had sat up to wipe her face off with the sheet. “Not yet, sweetheart. It’s high time I return the favor,” he said with a smile as he rolled her to her back and started kissing his way down her body.

 

Robb and Margaery arrived at Winterfell shortly before lunchtime. His mother had decided to do a big luncheon for the two graduates instead of a dinner that night.

“You’ll be wanting to celebrate with your friends that night, not the old folks, I know,” she had said the other night.

Lyanna and Sandor were coming, along with Jon’s father, half-sister and Oberyn. Margaery went upstairs to find Sansa and Robb found his mother in the kitchen. She was alone and crying.

“Mom?”

Cat wiped her eyes before turning to him. “You’re home,” she said with a big smile, trying to hide her tears.

“Why are you crying, Mom?”

“Because it’s a big day. It’s alright for me to cry a little on such a big day, isn’t it?”

Robb put his arms around his mother and pulled her close. He was half a foot taller than her now but he knew she’d always see him as her baby boy.

“It’s alright to cry, Mom. Happy tears today, right?” Once she nodded, he said, “I love you.”

“Uh, sorry…tender moment there…bad timing from me.”

Theon stood in the kitchen doorway grinning at them both. His mother made a hasty swipe at her eyes.

“Theon Greyjoy, where have you been?! I’ve not seen you since Christmas! You barely ever call! I swear, if my sons are as neglectful as you are once they leave home, I’ll die of a broken heart.”

“Ah, Aunt Cat...I’ve been busy working. Seeing a new girl…well, I was anyway. You know how it is.”

Robb punched his cousin’s shoulder, leaving him to his mother’s mercy, and headed off to find the rest of the family.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

“If you’ll just sign here, Mr. Snow,” the lady behind the desk said. Jon reached across the desk and signed the paper. “Very good,” she said. “And you sign here, Mr. Targaryen…thank you. And, I need your signature here, Mr. Stark. Great. Give me a few minutes and we’ll have you all on your way,” she said as she left the office.

His father was sitting next to him at the desk and Ned was seated on his other side. Oberyn stood off by the window looking at the beautiful May sunshine. It was 10 o’clock on Saturday morning and Jon Snow was suddenly a very wealthy young man.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Jon started to say.

“No, Jon, I wanted to do this. I’ve not been in your life at all. This is the least…”

“You didn’t even know about me. I can’t hold that against you.”

“I should’ve known. I could’ve tried to find out what happened to your mother when she left all of a sudden, without a word, all those years ago. At least, let me do something to help you…and Sansa.” Jon’s meager little savings account that Ned had helped him open when he started working at 16 suddenly had more money in it than Jon ever dreamed of having. Ned was to be the principal holder of the account until he turned 21 though. “Money for college, money to travel, money for whatever dreams you want to pursue…money for you and your wife someday to get settled. The money is nothing to me. You are what matters. I want you to be happy and if the money helps you and Sansa, then at least that’s something I did right.”

“Thank you, Father.” It still felt strange to call him that but Jon thought he could get used to it in time.

 

Jon and Sansa had met his father, Rhae and Oberyn at their hotel the night before after their flight had arrived and Jon had went through commencement rehearsal at the civic auditorium. Rhae had rushed him at once for a rib-cracking hug before excitedly handing him a card from his half-brother. Jon opened the standard graduation greeting card to find it said- _Best Wishes, Aegon & Sarella_-in suspiciously feminine handwriting. _Well, we’ll get there eventually, I guess_.

“Wow, Egg…so touching,” Rhae said dryly from over Jon’s shoulder. “Okay…here, here, here, here! Open mine now!” she shouted handing him a small gift wrapped box. He’d barely got the bow off before she was squeezing Sansa to her and saying, “Promise to come down and see us this summer, okay?”

“I’d love to, Rhae. We enjoyed Dorne, didn’t we, Jon?”

“Um…yeah. Rhae? What is this?” Jon asked as he held up the black and red knitted…something.

“It’s a crocheted guitar strap! Made it myself! I’ve been learning to crochet…well, since before my niece was born but this is the first thing I’ve finished! And, that’s not all…” Sansa was trying not to start giggling over the guitar strap as Jon pulled out two season passes to Dornish Winds. “So, when you and Sansa visit this summer, we can go back to ride more coasters again and again!”

“Oh, Rhae! That is absolutely perfect!” Jon exclaimed as he hugged her tightly.

“Oh…goody,” Sansa said with terror in her eyes.

 

Lunch at Winterfell went better than expected. Jon had feared an uncomfortable meal. Not from any of the Starks, Theon or Margaery but from Rhaegar, Lyanna, Sandor and Oberyn all being there together. Rhaegar was a gentleman through and through though and if he seemed a bit stiff to the others, he was polite at least. Oberyn and Rhae were the opposite of stiff though. He was his usual charming self and Rhae was sweet and vivacious, making her father more at ease and endearing herself to the Starks with her kind nature. Jon caught Theon staring at Rhae a bit more often than he liked and cleared his throat menacingly a few times…not that Theon noticed. _She’s way out of your league_ , _buddy. God, I’m as bad as Robb_. Lyanna was happy and talkative but made sure she did not overdo her attentions to Rhaegar which pleased Jon and Sandor both. Ned had raised a toast to the graduates and the others had heartily cheered him and Robb. Jon didn’t like being the center of attention but, when he saw Sansa smiling at him with such love and pride, he decided he could bear it for a day anyway.

 

It was almost time to leave and everyone was gathering downstairs to carpool in different vehicles to the ceremony. Jon was in his room trying to fix his tie for the umpteenth time and feeling thoroughly flustered. Lady had come in and was watching him with her head cocked to the side.

“Do you miss Ghost, girl? He misses all of you when he’s not here. Don’t suppose you’re any good at fixing ties, are you?”

“She’s not much help with ties, I’m afraid.” Sansa had slipped into the room quietly and he spun to see her standing behind him. She was wearing a lovely, green and pink, floral-patterned dress and heels. “You’d better hustle up,” she teased. “Your mother’s getting impatient.” His dark green cap and gown were still laying on the bed. “May I help you with that, handsome?”

“Please. I can never get these straight. You look beautiful by the way.”

“You’d better learn if you’re going to be an attorney someday…and thank you,” Sansa said as she undid his tie and started anew. Jon’s hands were shaking a bit. “What’s wrong? Are you nervous?” she asked.

“Yeah…I guess I am a bit. I don’t know why. At least I don’t have to give a speech like Sam and Mya do.”

“True…but it can be rather unnerving, I’ll bet. The whole auditorium full of people watching. They call out your name…hoping you don’t trip as you climb the steps and cross the stage.”

“Are you actually trying to help here or make it worse?”

Sansa giggled and said, “Oh, I’m here to help.” As soon as she finished his tie and adjusted his collar, she got down on her knees and unzipped his pants.

“Sansa…”

“Relax, Jon. We need to let all those butterflies in your stomach fly away.”

 

The ceremony passed in a bit of a haze. Jon had not stopped smiling the entire time. _Lovesick idiot whose amazing girlfriend just gave him head…bound to be written all over my_ _face._ Robb hadn’t noticed at least and he sat right next to him, smiling the whole time as well. _Well, knowing Margaery, he’s probably got a good reason to smile_.

Afterwards, there was sea of people storming and surrounding the graduates for hugs and kisses and photographs. Sam came up to him and Robb looking miserable.

“That was the worst speech ever,” he sighed.

“Hmmm, yes, you were great,” Jon responded.

“What? I skipped a whole page. It didn’t make any sense.”

“Ah, yes. Well done, Sam.”

“I started to cry in the middle of it…Jon, are you listening to a single thing I’m saying?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. We’ll see each other tonight,” Jon replied as he clapped Sam on the back happily and searched the surging crowd for Sansa.

“Don’t mind him, Sam. He’s been a bit distracted this afternoon. You did alright, better than I would’ve. Who’s going to remember a graduation speech a few years from now anyway?” Robb said.

Jon could see Ned and Cat heading towards them with Sandor, Rhae and his mother and father close behind. He spotted Oberyn chatting with Ms. Dayne, the art teacher… _good_ _grief_. But Rickon was small enough to slip through the crowd ahead of the rest and reached them first. He launched himself at Jon, a mass of auburn curls and a laughing face. Jon barely managed to catch him without staggering as he gave him a hug and kissed the top of his head.

“Where’s my hug, you little animal?” Robb teased and Rickon vaulted into Robb’s arms next.

Arya and Bran reached them next and Robb and Jon exchanged hugs with them as the adults arrived. Jon hugged his mother then Cat.

“Where’s Sansa?” he asked her.

“She’s coming, sweetheart,” Cat replied as Rhae squeezed the life out of him before she handed him over to Sandor and his father for more hugs.

His distracted state of mind fled at once when he faced Ned though. He could feel a lump forming in his throat and his chest felt tight.

“I’m so proud of you, son. I love you,” Ned said as he hugged him tightly. Jon could feel tears stinging his eyes as Ned pulled back from the hug and held his face in one hand. “You’ll do so well, Jon. I just know it.” Jon blinked back his tears and muttered his thanks as he saw Sansa and Margaery approaching.

“Where’ve you been?” he asked Sansa as Margaery went to Robb’s arms.

“In the bathroom…fixing my face…from crying. I lost it when Sam started crying during his speech. Go ahead and laugh at me.”

“I won’t laugh at you for that.”

“Congratulations. I love you.”

“Thanks. I love you, too. Hey, did you notice when I ‘accidently’ stepped on Mr. Baelish’s foot as I crossed the stage?” he asked with a smile.

“Was that really on purpose, Jon Snow? You seemed a bit confused up there.”

“Of course it was. I was following the whole event with the closest attention, Sansa Stark. I wasn’t a bit distracted at all.”

He kissed her and they both laughed as they followed their families to the exit.

 

* * *

 

 

Way in the back of the auditorium, he sat. His ten-day beard itched miserably but it was a small price to pay. The tinted glasses and beard had hid him well for several months now. _That and the broken nose and jaw that didn’t heal properly_. He’d finally shaved it off before going to Kings Landing. He had to lure the watch dog and his bitches away somehow even though it had been a terrible risk. But with the beard and tinted glasses amongst the crowd, he felt perfectly at ease. The police at the entrance hadn’t even given him a second glance. _Idiots_ , he smirked to himself. Good people seemed to rarely see the ugliness right in front of them.

It felt good to be nice and clean again after spending so many months lying in rustic cabins or sheds on his father’s various properties. There was never any running water at those places. He’d tried to explain to his father that he needed better accommodations but his father never listened to him. _Arrogant ass…he had it coming to him. All those_ _years he called me ‘son’ but looked at me like dirt_. The ceremony and speeches were dull… _guess I don’t mind that I missed my graduation after all_. They’d sent him away before his own graduation because of his ‘misconduct’ as his father had called it.

He watched the bastard catch a curly-haired boy in his arms. Then, that Stark ass had hugged the boy as well. Soon, they were all swarming the two of them. There were faces he didn’t recognize with their group but it didn’t matter. He’d make them pay for all he’d suffered. _I should’ve just taken her that day at the school…no, I wanted to take her but_ _then I wouldn’t have got to play my game_. Suddenly, she appeared at his side. There she was… _Sansa_. He couldn’t help but smile looking at her. _So lovely…we never got to finish_ _what we started, darling. But we will_ …

“Soon,” he said to himself quietly, as he slid out the back exit.


	36. Come and See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning...if you don't handle suspense well, just wait to read until I post chapter 39.
> 
> This chapter is fairly short and contains several characters' povs.

**RICKON-**

_I’m practically the last kid standing out here…where is she?_ Rickon knew his mother was never this late to pick him up. It was the last day of school and they’d only had a half day of classes. _Did she forget about the half day? Maybe traffic’s just bad._ One time she’d had a small fender-bender on the way to get him but she’d called the school office to let them know.

“Rickon?” Mrs. Weberly was calling. “Any idea where your mum is?”

“No, Mrs. Weberly.”

“Come on in the school and we’ll see if she’s called, dear.”

Rickon picked up his book bag to follow his teacher. Just then, he saw his mother’s car pull into the school’s driveway.

“Never mind, ma’am! She’s here!” he called over his shoulder as he went to hop in the backseat. _Finally…_ “Why were you…oh, I’m, uh…sorry. I got in the wrong car, I think.”

Rickon felt a sudden sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as the stranger behind the wheel pulled out of the school parking lot and kept driving. He was wearing a ballcap and sunglasses. He heard the doors lock and Rickon grabbed the handle but it wouldn’t open.

“Child safety locks…wouldn’t want you falling out of the backseat and going kersplat on the road now, would we?” the stranger said.

“What are you doing?” Rickon asked. He was afraid but was trying to be calm.

“Do you like games, little man?” was all the stranger said in reply.

 

* * *

**CATELYN-**

 

She’d stayed at the gym too long visiting. After yoga class, she’d only meant to share a cup of coffee with her friends but they’d ended up talking for nearly an hour. It was the last day of school and Rickon would be getting out at 11:30AM. Cat looked at her watch as she headed to the door. 11:17AM… _dammit…I should still get there before he starts to_ _worry_. She stepped out into the parking lot and headed towards her car…except her car wasn’t there. She looked around the parking lot, wondering if she’d misremembered where she parked. Except, she always parked in the same spot…it was just gone. _Son of a…some ass has stolen my car_. She pulled out her phone to call Ned. She’d need to call Robb and the school as soon as she got ahold of her husband…and then the police.

 

* * *

**ROBB-**

 

This was working out splendidly. Robb had been a bit uneasy about riding around with Sandor all morning when he was getting dressed but he was actually as easy to talk to here as he was anywhere. They’d responded to a call about a potential prowler…nothing. They’d responded to a call about a possible drunk driver…and caught him. Drunk off his ass riding a lawnmower down the street.

“Those are not always so funny,” Sandor had said with a grin when they turned the drunk over to some regular patrol officers. Sandor was in uniform and driving a marked cruiser for this ‘ride-along’ experience but he still let his patrol officers pick up some of the slack. “No need to bog you down with the paperwork side of things yet,” he said.

Robb suspected Sandor was relishing this escape from the ‘paperwork side of things’ and using him as the excuse. He didn’t care. This was interesting. They’d helped work an accident scene, only minor injuries thankfully. Sandor had warned him that traffic accidents were often the worst part of the job.

“Busy morning we’re having for your first ride along. You spoke to your dad about this?”

“Yes. He was…okay with it. I…uh…I promised to do an internship with the company this summer though.”

“That’s good, Robb. You’re too young to get too set on what you want to do yet. And did you speak to your mum?”

Robb looked away for a minute before answering, “Uh, no…I’m not sure what she’d think. I asked Dad to not say anything yet. Mom’s a little scary sometimes.”

Sandor laughed and said, “Plenty of time to discuss it. You’ve got college ahead of you. You may change your mind.” _I may…but I won’t_. “You working anywhere else this summer…besides your dad’s office?”

“Yeah, Jon put in a good word for me at the country club. I’m going to be a lifeguard with him there.”

“That’s good, Robb. You’ll be helping people and you can make some money.”

“I’ll be sitting on my ass in that uncomfortable chair working on my tan and calling down rowdy kids for horseplay according to Jon…but it’s a job at least. No football practice this summer so I can finally earn a little money anyway.”

“Trust me…there’s worse ways to spend a summer. Maybe Miss Tyrell will need to come swim at the club.”

“She has a pool at home…she’d just distract me,” Robb said with a grin.

Sandor smiled and said, “You’re probably right about that.”

 

They’d stopped for lunch at the diner and discussed the news from Kings Landing.  The police had found a cheap motel room where Ramsey had stayed.  He had paid for 10 nights in advance, in cash.  The credit cards had been used a few more times but there had been no more security camera footage of him.  But yesterday, the cops there had caught someone using one of Roose Bolton's credit cards...someone who wasn't Ramsey.

"He probably dumped the cards or gave them to someone else for money.  Maybe he got scared trying to use them or maybe it was his plan to get our attention, to chase him south.  He's on the run and it'd be stupid to come here but...he's not acted like a man that wants to let matters go.  He may be heading back this way."

"That's not good," Robb said and then jumped when his phone rang. “Oh, shit. It’s Mom,” he said hating that he was looking at the phone like it was a snake about to bite him.

“Answer it, boy. She can’t throttle you through the phone at least.”

Robb answered, “Hey, Mom.”

_“Robb…I need you.”_ She didn’t sound right.

“What’s wrong?” Sandor looked up from his coffee and fried chicken plate. “Okay, calm down…I’ll go get them…No, it’s okay...Jon’s picking her up. Okay, I love you.”

Sandor was staring at him as he hung up. “My mom’s car was stolen at the gym. She’s sent Dad to fetch Rickon…God, he’s going to be late getting there. She wanted me to get Arya and Bran.”

Sandor looked regretfully at his chicken for a few seconds. “Let’s go then,” he said.

 

* * *

**SANSA-**

 

_Sweet freedom_ , she thought as she headed out the door into the brilliant sunshine. Her eyes were eagerly looking for Jon’s car in the parking lot. He’d texted that he was running a few minutes behind. He’d went out to his car to find a flat tire. She was still hoping he’d be there waiting already. There was no sign of him yet. _Oh well…what is Mom’s car_ _doing here?_

Sansa approached what was certainly her mother’s car. It wasn’t in the parking lot. It was pulled up at the curb just a few yards away. The back window rolled down and there was Rickon…looking terrified and shouting something at her. Sansa ran to the car’s passenger side door and yanked it open.

“Mom? What’s…” There he sat in the driver’s seat with a gun pointed at Rickon.

“Hello, Sansa. So, lovely to see you again. Get in.” Sansa hesitated. All of her instincts made her want to bolt but she glanced at her little brother…her innocent, 10-year-old brother. “Get in without a word or I’ll shoot him,” Ramsey said, all pretense of pleasantness gone. Sansa started to climb in the front. “In the back, my dear. Wouldn’t want to lose either of you two.” Sansa climbed into the back seat next to Rickon. She was grateful he’d instructed her to get in the back. She held Rickon close and shushed his tears as they clung to each other. “Your phone please,” he said with the smooth tone again.

She handed it over and the panic rose up within her, overwhelming her senses until she thought she might faint.

 

* * *

**NED-**

 

“What do you mean my son isn’t here?!” he shouted. The ladies in the office were staring at him like he was a madman. _God, Ned, get ahold of yourself_.

“Mr. Stark, Rickon was picked up by Mrs. Stark nearly an hour ago.”

“That’s not possible! My wife’s car has been stolen. She sent me here to pick him up.  She called!”

“If she called, maybe someone else took the call.  A few of the teachers have already left.  But, I saw the car. Rickon said it was his mum. He got in and it left.”

“You didn’t see the driver?” Ned asked in a more normal tone. Normal except for the fact that he suddenly felt bile rising up the back of his throat and fear was creeping into his very marrow.

“The windows were tinted but it looked just like Mrs. Stark’s car.”

Ned didn’t bother saying another word. He pulled out his phone and headed out of the building in a panic. He scanned the parking lot with his eyes as if he could magically make Cat’s car appear there. He made his call.

_“Hello?”_

“Sandor…something’s wrong. I think Rickon’s been kidnapped.”

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

_You’d never make it on pit row, Snow_ , he thought with a chuckle. It had taken him over 20 minutes to change the flat. He hoped Sansa wouldn’t be aggravated. He had made plans for their afternoon that involved a happy and satisfied Sansa…not an aggravated one. He pulled out his phone to text her that he was finally on his way and pulled out of the driveway. No response…10 minutes went by and still no response. _Well, I suppose I’m up to the challenge of getting back in her good graces_ , he mused as he pulled into the school parking lot. There were still some students milling around outside but he didn’t spot her. _Where is she?_ He started to worry about Mr. Baelish. He decided to text her.

**JON: 12:25PM** Where are you?

Nothing…no response. He sat for a few more minutes and decided to head into the school. He passed Mr. Baelish heading to the parking lot. They eyed each other with some hostility but obviously Sansa wasn’t with him. He went to the office and saw Principal Mormont.

“Thought we were rid of you, Mr. Snow,” he said with a grin.

“Yes, sir. I was looking for Sansa…she’s not outside.” Mr. Mormont was busy putting away some boxes and grunting with the effort before he spoke again.

“Sorry, I’ve not seen her. Maybe your sweetheart’s out there now though.”

“Yeah…thanks.”

Just as he exited the building and headed back to his car, his phone dinged.

**SANSA: 12:34 PM** I did say soon, remember? Just like I promised.

Jon scratched his head. The response didn’t make sense but it also filled him with dread. He called her phone and it picked up after the second ring.

_“Say ‘hello’, love,”_ he heard a man saying.

_“JON!”_ Sansa was shouting and he could hear someone else crying. And then, he heard the voice he never wanted to hear again.

_“Hello, Bastard. I promised, didn’t I? Don’t believe me? Come and see. Sweet Sansa and her baby brother in the backseat. What will I do? Well…you’ll just have to find out. Come alone and maybe I’ll let the boy go unharmed. Alone…where we first met. Alone or I’ll just shoot them both…after I’m done with her. Come and see.”_

He’d hung up before Jon could utter a word…before he could even take a breath. Jon stared at his phone blankly, shaking all over and wanting with all his heart and soul to wake up from this nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the Starks and law enforcement have underestimated Ramsey and allowed themselves to let their guard down. It happens in real life stalking and domestic situations all the time though unfortunately so I hope you'll accept it as believable enough in this story and go with it.


	37. The Things We Do for Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title says it all really...never said those things we do are wise though.

**ROBB-**

 

**Tuesday 1:10PM**

Everyone sat in the living room, even Bran and Arya. He’d never seen his mother in this state. Catelyn Stark was a fighter…she didn’t just sit there numbly. Not even at the hospital with Bran looking so frail and small in his hospital bed. And now, she looked shattered and broken in ways that Robb never wanted to see…ever again. His father had called Sandor just as they were arriving at Winterfell with Bran and Arya. Sandor had left the three of them there.

“No arguing, Robb!” Sandor had finally shouted as he headed out the door. “You’re not coming with me. Stay here with them. If someone’s taken your brother, you’ll only be in my way.”

Robb had paced like a tiger caught in a cage until his father arrived with his mother. Sandor returned and more cops arrived shortly afterwards. _Where the hell are Jon and Sansa?_ _I texted them 30 minutes ago and neither one has responded and they’re not here. If they’re off fucking in his car somewhere, I’ll kick both their asses_. As soon as he thought that though, he felt something wasn’t right. _They wouldn’t just ignore me. When you text someone that their brother may have been kidnapped, they respond, right?_

“Jon and Sansa haven’t responded to my texts,” he said aloud. His father and Sandor had been talking but looked up at him.

“Call them,” Sandor said. Robb tried Sansa’s phone. It went straight to voicemail. He tried Jon next.

“Hello?”

“Jon! Where the fuck are you? Did you get my text?”

“Yeah…I’m on my way out.” _On your way out? Are you going shopping or something?_ “Who’s there with you?” Jon asked.

“Everyone! Everyone except you and Sansa…Jon, what it going on? Rickon is missing, Mom’s car was stolen and the school said he got into her car…why aren’t you here with us?” Robb looked up and saw Sandor standing in front of him gesturing for the phone. Robb ignored him though as a thought crept into his mind…something he didn’t want to think about. He didn’t know if he even wanted to hear the answers but he had to ask, “Is Sansa with you? Are you safe?” he breathed.

“No,” was all Jon said. Robb looked up at an increasingly impatient Sandor.

“He’s not with Sansa…he’s…I think…Ramsey.”

“Jon,” Sandor said. “Tell me everything.”

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

_'Come alone…Come and see’…WHERE?! ‘Where we first met._ ’ Jon was still staring at the phone. _I should call Sandor_ , he thought. He nearly dropped the phone when he felt the vibration and it dinged.

**SANSA 12:40PM** Alone or you’ll never even find what’s left of them.

The world was spinning…his head was hurting…he couldn’t breathe. _He has her. He has Rickon_. Jon sat in his car, staring at the phone.

**SANSA 12:41PM** Better hurry…I’ve been patient a long time…time’s almost up though.

**JON 12:41PM** I'm coming.

Jon threw down the phone and tore out of the school parking lot.

He knew where he’d met Ramsey. It’d been two years ago. This may even have been the very day of the bonfire in the Wolfswood. Theon had taken them both. He’d just graduated and wanted to take his younger cousins with him. It had been a 20 minute drive but a 45 minute hike to the location of the bonfire. It was the first time Jon had ever drunk a beer. He’d been nervous. So many of them were older than he and Robb but there were kids there from their class, too. Robb was at ease and was flirting with Jeyne a bit. Jon didn’t feel comfortable flirting. He never knew what to say. _Sansa was just finishing her freshman year…I barely gave her more than a passing thought back then_. He remembered Jeyne disappearing into the woods and heard the screaming a few minutes later. Robb had already went after Ramsey by the time Jon was close enough to see anything. He had to help his brother but Ramsey and his friends had handled the two of them with ease. It had taken Theon over an hour to get them both back to his car, they were so black and blue. It was the worst beating of his life and right now he’d gladly take another ten times worse. He’d gladly take a dozen more stab wounds if he could have Sansa and Rickon back and safe. Anything to escape this nightmare.

 

Jon had just headed into traffic when another text came through…Robb. _I can’t answer you, brother. I can’t talk to you now_. He drove to his house not even sure why he was going there until he stopped the car and got out.

_‘You know where I keep them now,’ Sandor had said one night a few weeks ago. ‘I didn’t want you just running across them by accident. Now, leave them be.’_

Jon entered the empty house. His mother was at work. Sandor was supposed to be taking Robb on a ride along but by now they were aware something was wrong. He got the step-stool to reach the very top of his mother’s closet. Sandor wouldn’t even need a step-stool but most other people would. His finger grazed the butt of the shotgun first but it wasn’t what he wanted. He felt the steel box all the way at the back and pulled it forward. Inside lay Sandor’s personal weapon, a loaded Glock 19. _‘Easier to conceal,’ Sandor had_ _said at the gun range_. Jon checked the weapon and the safety as Sandor had showed him. Then, he shoved it into the waistband at the back of his jeans letting his t-shirt hang over it.

He was heading out the door when his phone rang. _Robb_. He didn’t think he should answer but part of him really wanted to.

“Hello?” he said. They knew about Rickon. They didn’t know about Sansa. They were all there, Sandor was there. They were worried.

“Is Sansa with you? Are you safe?”

“No.”

Sandor’s voice came on the line. “Jon. Tell me everything.”

_I can’t. I can’t. He’ll kill them both if I do_. “He has them both. I have to go alone.” Sandor was yelling at him to not be so stupid, to tell him where he was going. _I can’t tell you._ _He’ll kill them both. I’m going to kill him_.

“Jon?” _Shit_. Ned had taken the phone from Sandor. “Please, son, tell us where you are. Tell us where you’re going. Tell us what you know.”

“I can’t, Ned. He’ll kill them both. It has to be me…just me.” He was crying now, standing in the doorway, wasting time, endangering Sansa and Rickon further. He just stood in the doorway with the gun in his belt sobbing like a child.

“Remember your uncle, Jon? Did it do him any good to go charging off on his own?” _This is different…it’s not just_ things _that have been stolen_.

“Where we first met. I’m meeting him there.”

“At school?” Ned asked.

“Yes, at school,” he replied with an aching heart and hung up.

Ghost had followed him outside. “Get in the house, boy.” Jon wiped his eyes and started to get in the car but Ghost was in the way. “You can’t come!” he shouted. Ghost just looked at him and didn’t move. “Fine! Come on then,” Jon finally said and Ghost jumped in the driver’s door to sit in the passenger seat.

 

* * *

**SANSA-**

 

_‘You love your sister, don’t you? Do what I say or I’ll kill her.’_

_‘You love your brother, don’t you? Do what I say or I’ll kill him.’_

Rickon’s hands and feet were bound with rope and he’d been gagged and thrown face down on the bed.

“I could never abide wailing children,” Ramsey had said.

The cabin was small but it had a twin-sized bed, a spirit stove and a card table and two chairs. Sansa’s hands were bound at the wrist behind her and she was sitting on one of the chairs. Ramsey sat in the other, cleaning the gun. His knife lay on the table between them. _The knife he stabbed Jon with...the knife he killed Ygritte with_. He looked over at her and smiled.

“Are you cold, Sansa?” She shook her head. “You look cold. I could warm you up.” She didn’t say anything. She looked at the floor and hoped he would go back to cleaning his gun. He did but soon he stood up and walked over to where she sat. He reached out and lightly touched her face. “So lovely but so cold,” he said with a smile.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, daring to raise her chin to him.

“Everything I want until they stop me.”

“You’ll never get way with this.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I don’t really care.” He lowered his face to hers, looking her straight in the eye. He reached out and ran his hand through her hair before he rested it on her shoulder. “If you think this has a happy ending…well…”

He let her go and walked over to Rickon. He forcefully shoved him off the bed to the floor. Rickon grunted with the impact.

“Sorry about that, little man. Your sister looks tired. She needs to lay down for a bit.” He jerked her up from the chair and walked her backwards to the bed. She could feel the back of her knees hit the mattress. “Lay down, love.”

_Try not to think about it…go somewhere else. Maybe someone will come_. Sansa sank down on the bed and laid back. Her arms were still bound behind her which was uncomfortable but she just watched Ramsey.

He smiled at her and said, “What a good girl.” He slowly climbed on top of her. She could hear muffled shouts from Rickon. _Don’t watch, baby. Please, don’t watch_. Ramsey saw her eyes flit towards Rickon.

“Shall I shut him up?” Sansa looked back at him with terror in her eyes.

“No,” she whispered. “Be quiet, Rickon,” she said louder.

Ramsey stroked her face once more and then started sucking and biting at her neck, leaving marks down her throat and along her collarbone. He ran a hand over one of her breasts and squeezed painfully. Sansa stifled a yelp and he smiled and squeezed harder. This time there was no stifling the cry.

“I want _him_ to be quiet, not you,” Ramsey said. He unzipped her jeans and tugged at them. “Hips up, darling.”

Sansa wanted to refuse, to lay there like a thousand-pound weight, to kick at him, to claw at him and fight until her last breath. But he glanced over at Rickon again with meaning and Sansa raised her hips.

“There now…that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He started tugging her jeans down but stopped when he started talking again. “I’ll be you are dry as a stick right now, Sansa. Fear does that with girls, I’ve found. I’ll bet you’re not a bit interested in me being anywhere near your cunt.” He pulled the jeans down a bit farther. “That’s a shame. I’ll bet you’re a filthy, wet bitch for that bastard, aren’t you? I’ll bet your cunt is _dripping_ for him. Maybe I’ll just have to help you out…but not just now.”

He slid off her and the bed, leaving her jeans halfway down her thighs. Sansa breathed a sigh of temporary relief but didn’t see how their situation was going to improve anytime soon.

An alarm started ringing on Ramsey’s phone. “Oh, good. Company should be coming soon…if I’ve done my math right…it was always my least favorite subject, you know. What about you, little man? You like math? Sorry to have to leave you waiting a bit, Sansa. Little man and I have something to go do. I’ve got to go prepare a little welcome gift for your bastard but I’ll be back, love,” he said as he took out more rope and bound her feet. Ramsey grabbed a backpack and shoved his gun down his pants. He lifted Rickon up and threw him over his shoulder. “Be back soon,” he said as he blew her a kiss and walked out the door.

 

* * *

**ROBB-**

 

_‘Where we first met,’ Jon had told Dad_. His father had told Sandor what Jon had said. Sandor gathered his officers and made a phone call to get every available unit to the high school. _That’s not where we met him. We never knew him at school. Only after, at the bonfire_ …

“Robb,” his father was staring at him.

“Yes?”

“You are to stay here with Arya and Bran and your mother.”

“Dad, I could come…I know Ramsey…I think…”

“No,” Sandor spoke this time. “You are to stay here as your father says. Look after your mum.” Robb glanced at his mother. She sat in the corner stroking Lady, staring out the window and not saying a word.

“Dad, I…”

“No arguments, Robb,” his father said. Robb watched them leave with the other police officers. His father had promised to stay out of their way and Sandor had let him go along… _but not me_.

 

_Where we first met_ …Jon was going to the Wolfswood to meet Ramsey…alone. Robb knew it in his heart. _No, not alone_ , he thought. He told Arya to sit with their mother and Bran to take care of the dogs. They were anxious, they sensed the unease and were growling and yipping and circling. Lady was shaking as his mother stroked her fur. Shaggy was biting and snapping at the others. He went upstairs to his parents’ room and found his dad’s hunting rifle. He took it down and looked it over. _Recently cleaned_ , he thought and was grateful for his father’s diligence. He found the box of ammunition and headed back down the stairs to the front door. Bran was outside with the dogs.

“Robb! What are you doing? Where’d you get Dad’s gun?”

“I’ll be back later.”

“You’re going, aren’t you? You’re going after Ramsey. Robb, please…don’t do this. Call Dad.”

“I’m sorry, Bran. Help Mom and Arya. Jon needs me. Sansa and Rickon need us.” Bran tried to stand in his way but Robb was much stronger than him. “I’m not going to hurt you, Bran,” he said as he kissed his brother on top of his head and then pushed past him, “but you’re not going to stop me either. Greywind, with me,” he called over his shoulder.

Bran watched Robb and his dog get in the car and pull out of the driveway before he ran back in the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the next chapter will conclude all the Ramsey drama and I'll do my best to get it posted tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for all the positive comments. They really help motivate me to share this!


	38. The Wolfswood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon heads into the woods to face Ramsey and seek Sansa and Rickon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that caused me the most frustration writing in this entire tale. Action/suspense writing are just not my forte. Hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

**JON-**

He had arrived at the trail head at 1:40PM. It had been warm in town but the forest was cool. It would be a 45 minute hike to the place the bonfire had been. Ghost followed at his heels. He hoped Ramsey would not notice Ghost…not right away anyway. Ghost had blended in with the snow in winter perfectly but his white coat stood out in the forest of muted greens and brown. _Where will he have them? What has he done with them?_ Jon tried to block out these thoughts as he started down the path. It looked dark and ominous down the trail through the woods. It twisted and turned and there was no way to see very far ahead on it at any time.

_We came here at night then. We laughed and talked all the_ _way down the trail with nothing but a feeble flashlight to guide us_. _On the way back though, we were moving slowly with the pain and Theon was nervous in the woods_.

Just as he got far enough on the trail to lose sight of his car, he heard the sound of tires crunching through the gravel lot of the trail head parking lot. He had a feeling it wasn’t a random hiker. He wondered if it could be Ramsey. Jon stayed out of sight but looked out from the trees at the parking lot. His eyes widened in disbelief and dismay when he saw Robb’s car. Robb got out with Greywind and Ned’s rifle. Jon was frozen, wondering what he should do, but Ghost had no such reservations. He headed straight to his brother. Robb smiled and patted Ghost’s head.

“I know you can’t be far, Jon,” Robb called. Jon stepped out from the trees and into view.

“What are you doing here, Robb?”

“I’m here to end this with you.”

“He said come alone or he would kill them both.”

“ _He_ doesn’t have to know I’m here. _I_ can follow along through the woods.”

“I don’t suppose I can stop you,” Jon said with a shake of his head. Robb just stared at him with that stubborn look he knew so well. “Alright. You didn’t tell Ned or Sandor you were coming here, did you?”

“No, they went to the school. They’re going to figure out it’s a wild goose chase pretty quickly, you know. Bran knows I was coming to you. He’s probably already called Dad. I don’t think this is the best way to play this but I’m with you either way,” Robb said. He looked around for a minute and added, “I think Ramsey likes games…wants to lay a trap. You know he’d never let you leave here alive.”

“I know.”

“And you were okay with that?” Robb asked.

“No…I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t…”

“You were trying to follow his rules…except mad dogs like him don’t really have any rules. We stand a better chance together, I think.”

Jon sighed but he agreed with Robb’s words. “You’re right.”

“Alright then…let’s go hunting, brother,” Robb said.

Ghost and Greywind looked intelligently at them both. They’d never taken the pups hunting but they were smart dogs and they had grown a lot in the past 6 months. Bringing them suddenly seemed like a good idea.

“Ghost,” Jon called. He patted his dog’s head. “Stay with Robb and Greywind,” he said.

Then, he started down the trail as Robb and the dogs melted into the woods.

 

* * *

**SANSA-**

 

He had tied the ropes tightly. They chaffed her wrists and it was hard to move her feet at all. She’d had a mild panic attack in the car on the way here. She’d nearly had another when he had blindfolded them at the edge of the woods. But, Sansa was done letting panic rule the day. She focused on the exercises Tyrion had taught her. She could almost hear his deep, soothing voice in her ear… _calm…center…breathe…you are safe_ … She scoffed at that last part but went through the exercise a few more times until her breathing returned to normal and her heart rate slowed from frightened rabbit to…something less frightened than a rabbit anyway.

He’d left with Rickon a while ago. He had promised to come back. He didn’t mention bringing Rickon back and that was not good. She sat up and looked around the cabin and nearly shouted when she spotted it. _The knife! He left the knife on the table_. Sansa couldn’t help but wonder if it was a trap, if he was waiting outside for her to do something. _He_ _was in a hurry to leave with Rickon…Could he possibly have screwed up or is this a trick?_ Either way, she wasn’t just going to stay put and wait on him to return.

Sansa scooted off the bed. She moved her arms around the lower half of her body to the front. She was hobbled by her jeans that were half way down her legs and the rope around her feet but she could manage short hops to the table. _At least with my hands in front I won’t fall flat on my face if I trip_. Sansa reached the table and clutched the knife. The blade was sharp and she sliced her finger at one point but she worked it down to the rope at her legs and began sawing. Once her legs were free, she gingerly held it between her knees and worked at cutting the rope binding her wrists. _Sweet freedom_ , she thought, rubbing her wrists. She remembered thinking that earlier in the day when she was walking out a school… _before this nightmare began_. She pulled her jeans back up and looked around the cabin for something useful. _Did you leave my phone, too? No, dammit._ There was nothing other than the knife. She held the knife and headed out of the cabin to try and get her bearings.

 

* * *

**NED-**

 

They’d arrived at the school quickly but there were no signs of anything unusual. The other officers had hurried into the school but nothing was going on out of the ordinary they reported. Several members of the faculty were still there as well as the custodians. It was the last day of school and obviously, the school employees were trying to tie up loose ends and tidy up before summer break. _This doesn’t seem right. I don’t think he’d be here_.

“This isn’t right,” Sandor said at that moment. “Why would he come here? There’s so many people here and no sign of Jon.” Ned nodded and his phone rang.

“What is it, Cat?”

“It’s Bran, Dad. Mom’s here but…Robb left. He took your rifle and Greywind. He knows where Jon is, I think.” Ned relayed the information and Sandor let out a curse. “Do you have any idea where they met Ramsey, Bran?”

“No…I’ll ask Arya.”

“Dad, it’s Arya…Ramsey beat them up at that party two years ago. Maybe that’s where they first met.”

“In the Wolfswood,” Ned mused. “It’s such a big area.”

“Theon was with them, Dad,” Arya said.

“You’re right,” Ned said. “Thank you both. Try and reassure your mother. I’ll call Theon.” Sandor was already on the road heading towards the Wolfswood as Ned got the directions from Theon.

“Wait, Uncle Ned…there’s another way in. It’s a shorter hike but steeper and the parking area is a longer drive…but more secluded. I don’t think Robb and Jon know about it.”

Ned relayed the new directions to Sandor and thanked his nephew.

“I hope we’re not too late,” Sandor said as Ned gave him the new route. Ned sat silently and prayed for his children as Sandor sped through town, radioing the officers in the school to get their asses moving and follow them.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

They had muted their phones and Jon moved as quickly down the path as he could without leaving Robb behind in the brush. He could hear his own footsteps along the trail and the birds and insects but little else. He would catch glimpses of Ghost from time to time through the underbrush to his left but Greywind was invisible and he only heard Robb once or twice. _Robb was always the keener hunter_. Jon had only been there once before and at night but he felt certain he was close to the clearing. _I’ll be out in the open and_ _exposed. I suppose that’s exactly what he wants._

He entered the clearing while Robb and the dogs stayed near the edge of the woods. It had seemed a more confined space that night, surrounded by the darkened woods with the fire in the center of everything. It was definitely larger than he remembered with the afternoon sun still shining above the tree tops. _About half the size of a football field_ , he thought. There was scorched earth surrounded by a large circle of huge rocks where more recent bonfires had blazed. Towards the far side of the clearing stood a lonely tree. As Jon searched for signs of Ramsey, he saw something that made his heart stand still.

“Rickon,” he whispered to himself.

Jon sprinted across the field to his little brother. Rickon was perched on an unsteady log under the lone tree… _a hanging tree_. A noose was tied around his neck and the rope disappeared up into the tree. It appeared his hands and feet were bound.

“Jon, don’t!”

Rickon shouted at him but he could not possibly turn back now. He had just reached the tree and was trying to figure out the quickest way to get Rickon down when he heard it.

**BANG!**

It sounded like a firecracker but he knew better. _It came from the nearer side of the woods_ , he thought as he heard the next shot and felt something graze his temple. **BANG!** This time Rickon let out a scream and lost his balance on the log. He fell and the rope went taunt. His eyes bulged and his mouth opened in a scream that didn’t come. His feet were only a few feet off the ground though and Jon frantically began trying to lift him up so he could breath.

**BOOM!** _The rifle_ , Jon thought. _That’s Robb_.

The handgun answered the rifle and Jon noticed dirt being knocked up inches from where he stood. It almost seemed like that was unimportant now though. His only focus was holding Rickon up to keep the rope slack. **BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** Robb was plainly in view now with the rifle hoisted to his shoulder and ready to fire again as he moved rapidly towards Jon and Rickon. Jon had heard a grunt after the last few shots on the near edge of the clearing towards what looked like another trail. The dogs were snarling and, when Robb gave a command, they charged towards where Ramsey surely was.

“Help me, Robb!” he called. **BANG! BANG!** Jon heard one of the dogs yelp but he couldn’t focus on that now. “We need to get him down!” he said frantically. He couldn’t use his own gun. He couldn’t do anything but keep Rickon from suffocating.

“I’ve only got one shot left before I need to reload,” Robb said. “Use your gun,” he said and gestured to the rope.

Robb grabbed Rickon’s leg from him and Jon pulled out the Glock.

“Hold him still, Robb.”

Jon aimed at the rope well above Rickon’s head and fired. He hit it but it took another shot to split the rope and Rickon fell in a heap on Robb. They ducked behind a nearby rock and laid Rickon on the ground. He was gasping as Jon pulled the noose from his neck and he was bleeding as well.

“Shoulder…just a nick,” Robb said looking Rickon over as he reloaded the rifle. “You’re going to be okay, buddy,” he said to Rickon. “We’re going to get you home.” Rickon rubbed at his neck and nodded. “You alright?” Robb asked him next as he gestured towards Jon’s head.

Jon touched his right temple and winced. He pulled his fingers away and they were bloody.

“I’m fine…just grazed, I think.”

“You think he got one of the dogs?”

Jon didn’t answer. He’d heard them snarling and growling and he had heard the yelp and didn’t hear them anymore. He hoped they were alright but there was something far more important to consider.

“Rickon, where’s Sansa?” Jon asked.

“At the cabin in the woods,” he said hoarsely. “It’s that way.” He pointed towards the far trail.

“I’m going,” Jon said.

“Not alone, you’re not,” Robb said.

“We can’t leave Rickon here alone.”

“Yes, you can. Go…I’ll be okay here,” Rickon said. “Go get Sansa.”

Greywind was lying near the trail at the edge of the woods. He had blood on his muzzle and he’d been shot in the leg. He whimpered as they approached. Robb let out a small whine and stroked his dog’s head.

“Rest, boy.”

There was no sign of Ghost. They headed down the unknown trail together to find Ramsey.

 

* * *

**NED-**

 

A lone car was parked at the other trailhead… _Cat’s car_. Sandor looked it over and called in the information. The others were supposed to be on their way but they’d left them behind having a good five-minute head start…and Sandor had driven like a bat out of hell to get there. They stood uncertainly at the trailhead waiting for their back up when they heard the first shots. Sandor pulled his gun and moved at once down the trail. He soon broke into a run and Ned followed. Unlike Sandor, he was empty-handed. _Like_ _bringing a knife to a gun fight, Stark. Except you don’t even have a knife_.

“You should stay back, Ned.”

Ned shook his head and kept following.

 

* * *

**SANSA-**

 

It was still daylight but the woods were so dense in areas that it felt like perpetual twilight. She wasn’t sure which way to go. She had found a trail not too far from the cabin but it led in two directions. One end of the trail seemed broader but appeared to go deeper into the woods. She looked the other direction and it appeared to be narrower and steeper. _Which way? It was steep the way he brought us…Rickon and I kept stumbling with the blindfolds on_. She started down the broader path but, when the shooting began, she froze. It sounded like there was more than one gun. She could hear a distant shout or two. She pictured Rickon lying dead somewhere on the forest floor…or Jon. She knew he would come, she just hoped he hadn’t come alone. Her hands were shaking and she leaned against a nearby tree. _Be still my beating heart_. She said a prayer as she stood there clutching the knife. Just as things had quieted enough for her to be ready to move again, she heard the unmistakable sound of someone approaching…rapidly. _Friend or foe?_ She darted behind the tree and waited. She stayed still as he passed. _Ramsey_. He was bleeding from his left arm and both of his legs were bloody. He was running but hobbling a bit. Sansa waited until he had passed and ran the way from which he’d come.

Sansa was running as fast as she could. Running _away_ from him as fast as she could. Her breath got short and fear was working on her heart again as she ran blindly to escape. She hoped she’d meet someone in the woods soon…someone safe. The trees looked thinner on up ahead. She spotted a flash of white in the woods nearby and paused. _Ghost?_

“Ghost!” she cried.

She stopped to see him better as he made his way towards her when she heard others approaching. She looked up in surprise and heard a shout as the gun fired. Sansa screamed.

 

* * *

**RAMSEY-**

 

_The bloody dogs! Fucking Robb Stark! Should’ve known the bastard wouldn’t face me alone. Damn them both to fucking hell. I should’ve killed Stark before I started the game to_ _begin with…I could’ve included him in the game…_ He looked down at his wounds for just a moment before he hurried along the path back to the cabin. _At least I can take care of_ _her…pretty Sansa_.

Ygritte had hated pretty Sansa…had wanted to scare her…to make her suffer a bit for taking the bastard from her. But Ygritte had never hated _him_. _Oh, no…not her precious Jon_ _Snow_. They’d spent months talking by phone and over the internet before they started meeting in person. At first, Ygritte had viewed her second cousin as a friend, someone who sympathized with her and her crappy life. She had been so easy to win over once she thought he ‘understood her’. The night she called him in a rage about Jon Snow and Sansa Stark he had invited her over. And he had fucked her long and hard that night and she had loved it. It was angry, jealous sex for her but she thought she needed to clear her head of the boy who clearly didn’t want her. And when they weren’t fucking, they’d spent a lot of time that weekend talking about the Starks and the bastard. Ramsey really didn’t want to talk about them. It was boring after a while. But Ygritte’s anger and feelings of misuse rubbed off and Ramsey had gotten excited as the old appetites returned…not that they’d really went anywhere and he had always liked hurting people. _Sansa_ …Ramsey had wanted her since he had met her…since he realized who she was especially. He wanted to fuck her, make her scream and cry his name. He wanted to fuck Robb Stark’s little sister. But when he and Ygritte had seen _them_ kissing in _his_ car that Monday afternoon after school, Ramsey wanted to hurt the bastard as much as he wanted to hurt Robb Stark…more actually.

He entered the cabin and could not believe his eyes. _She's gone…the knife!_ He let out a frustrated scream and then laughed at himself. _So stupid, Ramsey_. He could almost hear his father’s disdainful voice speaking in his head and he cursed and screamed again. He was trying to tend to his shoulder and legs when he heard the gunshot and her scream. He headed to the door. _Oh, how sweet it would be if one of them shot her by mistake…_

 

* * *

**SANDOR-**

 

Sandor motioned for Ned to get down. He gestured ahead. At first Ned hadn’t seen it but then his eyes adjusted to the gloom better and he spotted the cabin, too.

“Stay back, Ned. I’ll go take a closer look.”

Sandor stealthily approached the rear of the cabin, putting his years of training to use. He was tall and broad but he could still move light on his feet. He cradled the butt of his gun and had it pulled towards his chest. He muttered a curse to himself when he remembered holding up the bulletproof vest this morning and then putting it back on the bed. He hadn’t worn it in a good while. He always wore a shirt, tie and jacket as captain. He sat at a desk most days now. Robb Stark’s ride along this morning didn’t seem to warrant putting the damned hot article on. _Fucking hell…didn’t know you’d be in the woods hunting a madman, did you?_

There was a gunshot and a scream from further down the trail. _Sansa_ …it had to be her. _That was a handgun…not a rifle_ , Sandor thought. He had let his guard down just slightly with the distraction as the door to the cabin burst open.

“Freeze!” he bellowed.

The man spun and raised a gun towards him. Sandor’s training didn’t desert him then. He emptied his clip into the man’s chest but he also felt the impact in his own chest and fell with a grunt. He heard Ned shout at him and looked over at the dead man. _Gotcha, you fucker_ , he thought as he closed his eyes.

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

_I could’ve killed her!_ Sansa was in his arms, clutching him and sobbing and Jon could barely stand. He had been so sure Ramsey coming down the path towards them. Robb had spotted Ghost and realized it was Sansa at the last possible moment and rammed Jon’s shoulder. The shot had went wide and she had screamed. He dropped the gun and shook uncontrollably. She had rushed to his arms but he couldn’t stand any longer. He stumbled to the ground. _I almost shot her.  I could've killed her_.

“Sansa,” Robb was saying, “help me with him.” Robb sat him up and was telling him to breath, to relax. He looked up at her teary face.

“Sansa,” he said in a whisper, “I almost shot you.” She shushed him and was muttering words that made no sense to him.

Just then, gunfire erupted from farther along the path. A man was shouting…it sounded almost like Ned.

“Stay here,” Robb said to him. “Sansa, Rickon is farther down the path in a clearing. He’s injured but he’s going to be okay…can you go to him?” Sansa started to nod but Jon got up.

“I’m sorry…”

“You were going into shock, Jon. It’s alright. Go with Sansa if you’re feeling stronger now. Go get Rickon. I’ll see what’s going on that way.”

“Ramsey went that way, Robb,” Sansa said. “You can’t.”

_She’s right. I can’t send him alone. I would’ve been dead a dozen times by now if he’d not been here_. “Follow the trail, Sansa. Rickon’s in the clearing ahead…and Greywind. I’ll go with Robb.”

She looked like she might argue with them both but only said for them to be careful and that she’d go to Rickon. Jon whistled for Ghost and he came out of the woods. His muzzle was bloody but he seemed fine.

 

They spotted the cabin. Two men lay on the ground and Ned was kneeling next to the larger one. Robb and Jon ran to him. Sandor lay on the ground, blood all over his chest and abdomen. Jon could barely speak.

“Is he…”

“No, son. He’s not dead. Help is almost here…I hope.”

Jon saw Robb standing over Ramsey’s body. He would never hurt any of them again. He looked back at Sandor whose eyes had opened. He gripped Jon’s forearm.

“That was _incredibly_ _stupid_ , boy,” he growled.

“I’m sorry…he said he’d kill them both…he said…”

“I know. Doesn’t matter now. He’s dead. Sansa and Rickon?”

“They’ll be alright but Rickon’s been shot.” Ned’s head darted up at that.

“In the shoulder, Dad, just a scratch. We sent Sansa on to him,” Robb added.

Ned got up and pointed to Sandor. “Stay with him, Jon,” he said and headed down the path to find his daughter and youngest son.

“Call your mum for me, Jon,” Sandor said as help arrived.

Jon nodded numbly and asked, “Are you going to die?”

“Me? Nah…I’m a big fucker and hard to kill. They’ll patch me up, I expect. I thought you were going to die though. I didn’t want to be the one to tell your mum that.” Sandor grimaced and let out a groan. “Christ, this hurts like a mother fucker.”

“I’ll call Mum. I’ll tell her to meet us at the hospital. Sandor…I love you,” he said as he squeezed his hand.

“I love you, son,” Sandor breathed out as the medics worked.

_Son…yes, I think I like for you to call me that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ding dong, the psycho's dead! Whew...why'd I ever let him hang around so long?
> 
> Nope, Jon didn't get to kill Ramsey. Just like the books and show, I wanted it to go a little sideways. Like Oberyn almost killing the Mountain...before he got his head cracked like a walnut. Or like Arya almost making it to that wedding at the Twins to reunite with Mom and Bro...until...well, I really don't like thinking about that.
> 
> So, there's only 2 chapters left to wrap this up and they are much fluffier than the past three. When I started posting this in November, I hoped to get it all up by New Year's...can't believe I stayed on track.


	39. Summer's Healing Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery and fluffy sweetness.

**SANSA-**

 

A week later, Sansa sat in her mother’s sitting room playing a soft melody on the piano. No one spent much time in the sitting room. It was small and towards the back of the house. It was where Catelyn’s piano sat untouched by anyone in the house save for Sansa now. A gentle rain fell outside on the late May blossoms. Jon was upstairs with Robb but he would soon be down so they could go to the hospital. There was hope that Sandor would be released the next day. Lyanna had been by his side day and night except when Jon had finally insisted that his mother go home to sleep in her own bed the other night and he had taken her place. She had reluctantly acquiesced but Jon said Sandor had thanked him later.

“It was upsetting to him, seeing her so tired and worried. He told me he needed the night off to rest without her worrying over him, too.”

But Sandor had been glad to see her back the next morning all the same.

Rickon’s shoulder was already well healed. The marks around his neck were fading from the noose. He seemed happy and full of energy at times like a 10-year-old should be but he followed Sansa around more than ever and stayed close to his mother. Sansa had suggested to her mother that Rickon see Tyrion for a while and Sansa wanted to go with him. _In time, this will be better_ , she said to herself for the millionth time.

Her parents were still recovering from the horror of the previous week. Her mother had suffered the worst shock of her life…a child kidnapped…two children abducted by a madman. And then two of her sons going after said madman. But she had recovered and was back to herself… _more or less_. She had even caught herself yelling at Robb a time or two for some trespass or another before she’d cover her mouth and hug him.

“Never mind,” she’d say. “It’s not what matters.”

Her father was quiet. Her mother had made an appointment of her own with Tyrion but, when she suggested him going as well, he had shook his head. It simply wasn’t his way. He just watched them all closely and tried to come to terms with things in his own quiet way.

Arya and Bran were just relieved to have everyone home again and safe. And glad that Sandor would recover. Robb had dealt with the aftermath this time much better than after the party last fall. Perhaps because he didn’t waste time blaming himself this time and was just grateful that everything was okay. He’d cried over his dog the other afternoon when the vet had called to say they weren’t certain Greywind’s leg could be saved though. Sansa had been the one to console her big brother for a change and, in the end, his beloved companion was brought home to heal with all four legs still.

Sansa’s own marks and bruises were all but gone. But the bad dreams were not. When they came, she would wake and reach for Jon. He would pull her closer and the dreams would fade. Her parents and Lyanna had not said a word about it yet but she knew it wouldn’t last. He had slept in her bed nearly every night since what happened although they had not had sex so far. The memories of the cabin still haunted her too much for that.

Jon was haunted, too. With Lyanna at the hospital so many nights with Sandor, he stayed at Winterfell. He didn’t want to be alone with himself he said. He didn’t want to be out of reach of her either. He admitted that he sometimes dreamed of arriving in the clearing to find Rickon already dead. He dreamed of Ramsey hurting Sansa while he stood by helplessly. He dreamed that Sandor had died. And he was racked with guilt over shooting at her.

“I wanted to kill him. I was sure I was meant to kill him if he didn’t kill me first but it was you I almost killed. In the end, I was useless.”

“No, you weren’t. You came for me and Rickon. You saved Rickon’s life. You came alone, knowing you might die. Please stop hating yourself over this. He’s gone now. I want all memory of him to disappear in time but for now just stop blaming yourself for all the things he did.”

He smiled sadly at her and promised to try _. In time_ , she had repeated to herself then.

 

Sansa finished her melody and looked up to see Jon standing next to the piano smiling at her.

“That’s pretty,” he said.

“Thank you. Are you ready to go?” He nodded and held out his hand. “How were my brother and Greywind?”

“Robb was cheerful and Greywind was napping contentedly on the bed. He said Margaery was coming over to spend time with them here this afternoon.”

Sansa smiled and said, “Good. I’m glad Greywind is doing better. It’s so hard to see my big brother cry.”

“I won’t tell Robb that you just told me he cried over his dog.”

“Excuse me, Jon Snow, but you know perfectly well you would’ve cried if it had been Ghost.”

“Well, yeah…” he said with a grin.

At the hospital, Sandor was grouchy and past ready to go home. Lyanna was chatty and confident that the doctors knew best.

“Stay put, you old hound,” she chided. “They’ll kick you out soon enough.”

Lyanna came over to ruffle Jon’s hair and reminded him to not miss his appointment with Tyrion today before asking him to take care of some chores at home later that day for her. Jon murmured that he would and Sansa wondered at the change in Lyanna. _A year ago, she was like a breeze that comes and goes and she would flutter away to please herself whenever things became difficult. Now, she’s stronger and holds the needs of her family above her own wants. What is the difference?_ Sansa thought she knew though. The love of a good man to anchor her was what Lyanna had needed. It was a shame that the love for her child had not been enough to hold her steady before but Lyanna at least had changed for the better with Sandor’s love. And for that, Sansa was very grateful.

 

Three weeks later, Sansa woke alone in her bed and felt something she hadn’t in a while. She crept to Jon’s bed in the predawn hour. She laid down and reached for him.

“Bad dream?” he mumbled as he reached for her.

“No…a good dream…a very good dream.” She reached up to stroke his cheek and ran her thumb along his bearded jawline.

“Hmmm, want to share?” he asked.

“Yes and no. I want to share the dream, just not in words. I think I’ll share it in actions.”

Jon chuckled and ran his hand down her arm to rest at her waist. “You’re sure?” he asked seriously though the next moment.

“Oh, yes.”

They kept their passion as quiet as possible for the sake of her parents and siblings still abed in the house. But the bed creaked with every thrust and Jon’s loud groan of completion was as unmistakable as Sansa’s cry of fulfillment if anyone had been walking by his door at that moment. Ghost and Lady sat at the bed side throughout wagging their tails with each moan and cry.

“Am I the only one freaked out by how much those two dogs like to watch us in bed?” Jon asked when they were finished.

“I think it’s sweet,” Sansa answered. “They’re just happy for us.”

“If you say so, pretty girl. Would you be willing to give them another performance in a bit then?”

“Only if you are.” Jon snickered and kissed her.

“Did you hear that Lady and Ghost? Next show coming up soon.”

 

* * *

**JON-**

 

_“Do you, Lyanna, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward as long as you_ _both shall live_?”

“I do,” she replied.

Jon looked over at Sansa who was wiping her eyes as she sat next to Margaery and Robb. The wedding was a small affair. The church was not even half filled this Saturday afternoon. Still, the crowd of close friends and family, the people that truly mattered were there. _Plenty of security, too_ , Jon thought to himself as he glanced at all the officers present. Cat stood behind Lyanna in a simple green dress, holding Lyanna’s bouquet. His mother’s wedding dress was lovely but very simple. Sandor and Jon were wearing suits, not tuxedos. Ned had walked his mother down the aisle. It was late July and the reception would be at Winterfell. They were going to grill burgers and hotdogs. There would be lawn games and touch football. Robb and Theon had bought fireworks for a nighttime show. It was what suited Sandor and his mother and Jon in truth. He couldn’t have been happier for them. Ned Stark would always be his father in his heart but there was room in there to share with Sandor. His biological father, Rhaegar, had a place there as well. _From no father to three…well, I’ve always had Ned in truth_.

After the ceremony was finished, Jon hugged his mother and said, “You look beautiful, Mum.”

She held his face in her hands and sighed, “I feel beautiful, Jon. For the first time in a long time…he makes me feel beautiful inside and out. I’m so glad to be here with you to share this day though, sweetheart.” She wiped her eyes and continued, “Go on now. Your lady love is waiting for her escort.”

His mother and Sandor headed back down the aisle to applause as Jon strolled over to Sansa. “Crying at a wedding, Miss Stark? I can’t say I’m shocked.”

Sansa dabbed at her eyes again and shot him a playful scowl. “What can I say? I’m hopelessly romantic.”

“Come on, you two. That enormous cake isn’t going to eat itself,” Robb called over his shoulder as he and Margaery followed the crowd.

 

The reception was noisy but happy and comfortable. The bride and groom cut the cake and danced to a couple of songs. Rickon and Bran raced around the yard with the pack of dogs at their heels. Arya had invited Gendry and Robb threw a fit when he caught them kissing in the kitchen pantry. Ned told Robb to mind his own business but gave Gendry an icy glare before he laughed and ushered them both back outside. Tyrion had been invited to the party since he was practically like a member of the family after all the counseling he had done for the Starks and Lyanna and Jon. He told Sansa and Jon that Joffrey and his mother would be moving back to Lannisport before school started back.

“Good riddance,” Jon had said aloud. “Uh…sorry, Tyrion. They are your family.”

“Are you joking? I’m taking a week off to celebrate when they’re good and gone.”

After the fireworks, Lyanna and Sandor headed home. They were leaving for a few days at White Harbor in the morning before they both had to return to work. Jon was staying at Winterfell for the night. It was the first time he would be staying overnight since their early morning passion several weeks ago. Perhaps someone had heard them or perhaps Ned and Cat just thought it was time that their 16 year-old daughter and her boyfriend go back to sleeping in their own homes again. Whatever the case, Jon planned on having a night with her now. The party was still going and Ned and Cat were sitting around with Tyrion and some of the other adults drinking and laughing when Jon took Sansa’s hand and quietly tugged her along to follow him. Ghost and Lady were still outside with the other dogs. _Alone at last_ , Jon thought with a smile.

As they passed Robb’s room, they noticed the door shuddering…repeatedly. _Like someone was trying to break it down or…_

_“Oh, Robb! Oh, God! Don’t stop, lover!” So discreet, Miss Tyrell…_

_“Fuck, Margie…Christ, like that, baby!”_

“I hope Mom and Dad don’t come upstairs,” Sansa snickered.

“Well, if they do maybe it won’t be us they hear,” he replied. They went to Jon’s room and he locked the door.

“Do you have to work tomorrow?” Sansa asked.

“Yes, you going to come visit?”

“I think I will. Guess I’ll try not to leave any marks on your back this time,” she said with a grin.

Jon chuckled and said, “Yeah, I got a lot of teasing from the other lifeguards about that…except Robb. Uh, he didn’t say a word.”

“I’ll bet not. You know, I think I may need to break out that suit from Spring Break. Seems a waste not to wear it at all.”

“If you wear that, I will be good for nothing all day. Think of the innocent children that might drown because I’m trying to hide my hard-on all day and coming up with excuses to escort you to the employee’s breakroom.”

Sansa laughed and said, “Take your clothes off, Jon Snow.”

 

“Five more weeks…” she said afterwards in a soft tone. Her eyes were already full of tears as she kissed hiS shoulder and ran her hand across his chest.

“I know. I’ll miss you so much,” he said as he pulled her closer while she cried softly for a bit. “Come on. We still have tonight and over a month of summer left. And I want to watch you come again, pretty girl.”

“Alright,” Sansa said as she pushed him down and gave him a wicked grin, “but I get to be on top.”

There was a scratching at the door then. Lady and Ghost were there…whining. _Oh, good God…_

“Let them in,” Sansa said. “They’ll give us away.”

Jon opened the door to let the dogs in the room. He glanced down the hall. All seemed quiet still.

“I forgot to mention something earlier. My father called me this morning. He invited us down to Dorne for a week towards the end of August, plus our passes will still be good to the theme park.”

“Oh, boy.”

“We don’t have to go…”

“No, Jon. I’d love another week in Dorne with you…just promise I don’t have to ride anymore roller coasters.”

“It’s a deal. Think this will be okay with your parents?”

“Yes, I think so.” She looked thoughtful for a moment and gave him a sneaky little smile. “Will Oberyn be there, too?”

“Sansa…” he said in a playful warning tone.

“I was just hoping for another trip to that deserted island is all,” she said as she slid down the bed…lower and lower…

“Oh, fuck…Sansa,” he breathed huskily, “how did I ever get this lucky?”


	40. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catching up with Jon and Sansa seven years later...

**Seven Years Later**

 

The commuter train was late leaving the station and Jon was tired and just wanted to go home. He pulled his tie off and dropped it in the box sitting next to him. He unbuttoned his shirt and tugged the band out of his hair that he wore back in a bun at work and ran a hand through his curly hair. His internship at the public defender’s office in Kings Landing was finally at an end. He pulled the box that held his few personal belongings onto his lap as the train sped through the Capitol. He had already received his law degree from KLU a few weeks earlier. Their time in Kings Landing had been exciting and memorable but they would be moving back to Wintertown in a week and couldn’t be happier. Sansa had already packed most of their belongings as she had quit her job two weeks earlier to prepare for the move. A job was waiting for Jon at Wintertown’s Attorney General’s office and they were using some of the money from his father to open an interior design shop for Sansa.

His undergrad years had been an adjustment. Arryn College had been great and he’d excelled in his classes but he had been pretty lonely all the same. Sansa had come to visit him a few times her senior year but mostly he drove to her in Wintertown once a month. They saw less of each other once she started college at Riverlands University the next year. They spent a lot of time on skype and texting but still missed one another terribly. They did get a lot of experience at phone sex when Jon’s roommate was out though. He had made friends but he spent most of his free time studying and he’d graduated a year early with his pre-law degree.

Sansa and Margaery’s senior year of high school had been much less eventful than the previous year. They missed their boyfriends but at least they had their families (well, Margaery had Loras and her granny at least) and each other. They’d done cheer again and Jon received plenty of pictures of Sansa on his phone in her uniform…and some of Sansa out of it. _My naughty girl_.

After Jon graduated from Arryn, he’d spent several months living with Sansa, Robb, and Margaery. The three of them were attending Riverlands and shared an apartment near campus that permitted large dogs. _Was it a little awkward at times having sex with Sansa while Robb was in the next room? Yes…yes, it was_. But overall, the four of them had formed an even closer bond during those months. And Jon had happily enjoyed the time playing ‘house husband’ to Sansa and caring for Ghost, Lady and Greywind during the day. His father’s money had made that a possibility for him. Jon spent some time writing music and even performed at open mic nights occasionally…when Sansa could talk him into it.

He’d also spent some time traveling to Dorne, getting to know his family there better. Rhae was truly his sister and though he and Aegon would probably never be very close, they were cordial enough with each other and Jon loved his little niece. And, they still enjoyed the entertainment that was Oberyn Martell’s company whenever they were down in Dorne.

Jon decided to attend Kings Landing University’s Law School and once Sansa finished her Interior Design degree, she moved there to live with him. Jon’s grandfather had died before they even got settled but his grandmother was a loving woman, despite her formal ways and they’d both been grateful for the time to get to know her. And they had loved their first apartment together as just the two of them…well, just them and the dogs. It was going to be bittersweet to leave.

They had married that past Christmas at Winterfell. Sansa had been radiant in her gown walking down the aisle on Ned’s arm and she wasn’t the only one with tears in her eyes at the altar. _Still a lovesick idiot_. Robb and Margaery had married a year earlier and they had happily swapped roles with Jon as groom and Robb as best man this time and Sansa as bride and Margaery as maid of honor…Margaery refused to be called a ‘matron’ of honor though.

Sandor and Lyanna were there. Jon was still overwhelmed by how happy his mother was now and loved his step-father dearly. Jon’s father and family from Dorne managed to fly up for the wedding…even Egg. And, Rhae had brought her new boyfriend… _not nearly good enough_ , Jon had decided the instant he met him though.

Ned and Cat were still the constant thing in their lives that all the Stark children and Jon could depend on though. Still the cornerstone of their children’s lives…even as their children were heading off to find their own way. Jon and Sansa talked to them regularly. Ned’s advice was still always the best and Cat was still mothering them all. She was also looking forward to grandchildren… _desperately_ …as she told Sansa and Margaery early and often.

After high school, Arya had traveled over the Narrow Seas for a time fencing competitively and Gendry had followed her. She had returned to Westeros last year and started attending Riverlands University. And Gendry had followed her…Everyone knew where that was headed.

Bran was a freshman at Arryn College and Jon had went to visit him one weekend. Bran was adapting well to college life. He had already made more friends than Jon had the entire time there. Bran wanted to study medicine and they offered a good pre-med program, too.

Rickon was a senior at Wintertown High School. He had stayed close to Sansa. They called each other often. There were things they had shared together that made their bond more precious, Jon knew. Theon was still Theon and no one expected him to be anything else. He, Robb and Jon were still very close.

The darker times from their first year together had diminished but not faded entirely. It would always mark them to some extent, just like the scar on his abdomen. The happiness they’d found that first year together far exceeded the bad memories though. The bad experiences were part of who they were and they hadn’t disappeared altogether, no matter how much they may wish it were so… _life just doesn’t work that way_.

College had changed Robb’s outlook some and he had decided to try working for Ned. He spent nearly a year working at Stark Manufacturing but he ended up hating it and finally told his mother that it wasn’t what he wanted. He’d joined the police academy soon afterwards. Sandor said he’d probably make detective by the end of the year. Ned had been supportive and Cat had come around. Margaery had been thrilled. According to Robb, she couldn’t get enough of him in uniform…or his cuffs. _Lucky Robb_. They had bought a little house in Wintertown and were happy. Jon and Sansa were looking forward to living so close to them again.

 

Jon entered the apartment and sat the box of belongings from his desk down on the kitchen counter. He saw a pastry box on the counter with a half-eaten lemon cake in it and smiled. _Sweet girl with a sweet tooth_. He pulled out the framed picture from prom night of the four of them he had kept on his desk at the office and smiled. _A night to_ _remember_ , he chuckled to himself… _that it was_. Ghost and Lady bounded into the kitchen to greet him.

“Hey, you two. Where’s Mama?” They wagged their tails and Jon looked in the oven. “Sansa! I’m home. What are you making? It smells great.” He heard her coming down the hall.

“Good last day?” she called.

“Yeah…well, it was alright anyway.”

“I did a little shopping today.”

“Okay, get anything?”

“Why don’t you take a look?”

He looked up and froze. Sansa blushed at the expression of surprise on his face. She was wearing pair of lacy blue panties with Bran’s old Direwolves Soccer tee he’d given her and…

“Um…nice socks.”

“Thanks! I couldn’t believe it! They’re just like my favorite old wooly ones I had! They are so comfy.”

“Uh…Sansa…”

“You like something else?” she asked twirling around for him to see.

Jon nodded about a dozen times and pointed to the undies. “Those are new, I think.”

“Yep.”

“Bran’s shirt seems to fit you well.” _Why am I still standing here?_

“It’s a bit tight.”

“Nah…um…I like the wolf bit…”

Sansa laughed and said, “That still has 30 minutes to bake,” as she gestured towards the oven.

Jon had forgotten their kitchen contained an oven at the moment. He gulped and took a step forward.

“Whatever will we do with that time, Mrs. Snow?” he asked.

“I can think of a few things,” Sansa replied with a smile. _Dessert first then_.

That night they lay in bed after their second ‘dessert’ and talked about the move.

“Will you be happy to go home?” Sansa asked. Jon stroked her hair and smiled.

“Home is with you, Sansa. Wherever you are, that’s home to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this fic and I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with it! I can't believe I've got over 500 kudos! Happy New Year to everyone!!


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